My Little Pony: The Brothers of Discord
by mr.myxsiple
Summary: Time and time again have the scales tipped and the natural balance in the land shifted. But for the past few instances, it has tipped to the same side. When the scales tip the other way, who will heed the call? Who will step up and restore the balance before it's too late? Mane 6 x OC. Pls review.
1. Chapter 1

Hello there everyone. This is my first My Little Pony story, and I'm very nervous about it. So...i'm just gonna keep writing and hope you guys like it.

I hope you enjoy.

**I DON'T OWN MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC**

* * *

CHAPTER 1  
IMBALANCE

Several years earlier...

His eyes were wide, and his vision was blurry. His breaths were quick, ragged and panicky. His hearing wasn't any good either. His entire body trembled uncontrollably as pain unlike anything he'd ever felt coursed through it. Everything hurt, his head, his legs, his chest, his insides, his everything. Desperately, he cried out in pain hoping that someone would hear him.

"Stay with me!"

Someone did. He saw that someone appear before him, a silvery alicorn whose face was just as panicked as his was. "Don't worry! Y-You're going to be fine!"

The alicorn's horn glowed with a pale silver aura as he placed it over his body. Weakly, he raised his head slightly and couldn't believe his eyes. His entire body was covered in blood, more blood than he had ever seen on him in his life. The sight only caused him to panic even more. His mind a whirl, he tried to recall what happened, and the memory of it just caused more pain.

It was light, nothing but light. He had seen light before, experienced it, but this was different. It seemed to envelope him and caused him pain, burning pain. The warmth it usually made him feel seemed to have intensified a thousand fold, becoming a searing, unbearable blaze. He felt like his whole body was on fire, a raging inferno that threatened to consume him.

But there was no fire. There was only light.

"Damn it!" the alicorn shouted withdrawing his horn. His healing spell had failed. "Why...why is there so much blood?!"

Fearing for his life, he cried out in pain. The alicorn looked at him before walking away. A few seconds after, he heard a loud crash like something, a desk or a chair, being tossed aside. "Damn this!" he heard the alicorn shout. This was followed by another crash. "Can I not save even one of them!?"

There were others? He weakly raised his head; though his blurry vision, he could make out five other beds who were occupied by young colts just like him. He couldn't see or hear them properly, but the way they twitched and moaned in agony told him that they shared the were experiencing the same thing. It seemed that they, like him, were about to die.

He cried out from the overwhelming agony and fear he was feeling. The combined moans of pain from six young colts was just too much for the alicorn to take. He covered his ears, but he could still hear them pleading for their lives. He tried to ignore this as he mentally went through every spell he knew, hoping that he'd come across something, anything that would save them. Nothing came up.

One idea crossed his mind, a crazy idea. It was more of a risk actually. It had something to do with dark, forbidden magic he never thought he'd use some time, magic that dealt with the very forces of life and death itself. He didn't know if it would work and, if it did, what kind of side-effects it would have. But upon looking into six pained expressions, he threw aside his hesitations and ran off.

After seeing the alicorn run off, he felt the pain intensify. As he noticed his sight and hearing starting to fade, he realized that he was just a few moments away from death. He struggled some more and cried out wishing that somepony, anypony would save him.

He saw the alicorn appear once again, but his features were even more blurry. When he spoke, his voice seemed to echo as if he was at the end of a long tunnel.

"Don't worry...You're going to live..."

The alicorn used his magic and brought something up near his face. He couldn't see it properly, but it looked like a black sphere of some sorts. "You're going to live...It might not be the kind of life you expected...but I refuse to let you...or any of the others die...not now...not while you all still have your whole life ahead of you..."

Without warned, he used his magic and shoved the sphere into his chest.

It seemed to phase right through and enter his chest. A second after it did, his eyes widened as the pain intensified. This time, it was the same burning sensation he remembered. He felt like his body had been set on fire. Even though there really was no fire, he felt his flesh burn, his very bones blazing, his heart being roasted by unseen flames.

Unable to contained himself anymore, he screamed out in pain, feeling the invisible flames consume him entirely.

* * *

Present day...

The Everfree Forest...Just hearing that name would make anypony shudder. Nopony would ever dream of going in there unless it was absolutely urgent. The place was huge, easy to get lost in, and was teeming with creatures that would rip you to pieces in no time.

But this particular day, there was one pony who was brave enough to stay in the forest all by himself. It was a pegasus stallion, and almost everything about him was dark. Grey coat, short black mane, the only bright things on him were his cutie-mark, a white chess pawn, and his eyes which were golden. Almost fitting his dark appearance, his name was Ash.

It was late in the morning. Ash was lying in the middle of a clearing at the edge of the Everfree Forest far away from his home. He sighed and yanked out a leaf from a nearby bush with his mouth. At that moment, a gust of wind blew, and he let go if the leaf.

He watched the leaf flutter around in the wind for a while before doing it, his special trick, a strange power nopony else had. He had it ever since that fateful day so many years ago.

He knew how to do it; as his gaze intensified, his eyes suddenly went from gold to scarlet. The next second, the leaf became engulfed in flames and was eventually reduced to ash that blew away in the wind. Ash sighed and yanked out the another leaf and repeated the process.

He always chose to be alone if the opportunity came up. He just wanted to get away from every from everypony else.

_You know what would happen if they got close to you..._

He growled and shook his head to stop himself from thinking such things as all it did was cause him pain. He instead concentrated on burning more leaves from the bush. His powers could do more than that, but he only wanted to burn one leaf at a time. The activity took his mind of his problems.

A small noise caught his attention. After reverting his eyes back to golden, Ash looked in front of him seeing a small white rabbit staring at him. Ash usually avoided animals just as much as he did other ponies in order to protect them.

_Thinking of hurting small animals? Harming innocent, kind creatures who haven't done anything wrong?_

Another growl escaped his throat as those thoughts crossed his head. He had to drive the rabbit away and knew just what to do. He faced forward and looked right into the rabbit's eyes. Immediately, the latter's eyes widened in terror. After maintaining eye contact for a while, the rabbit turned and hopped off as fast as he could. Ash sighed, glad he was alone again.

But a few moments later, he heard another shuffling as if something much larger was approaching. Ash then heard a voice, a soft, kind voice that caught his attention. "Now Angel, what's gotten into you? Why'd you bring me-"

Ash saw a pegasus mare enter the clearing along with the same rabbit. She had a yellow coat, pink mane and cyan eyes. She stopped mid-sentence when she spotted Ash and took in his presence. Fluttershy had never seen this pony before in town before. She wondered why he decided to stay so close to the forest.

"Um...excuse me." she said shyly. Ash raised and eyebrow as she slowly approached him. "I-I'm sorry to bother you but uh...Angel here told me about somepony frightening him and um..."

Before she could finish, Angle hopped up to him, crossed arm and tapped his foot as if he was expecting an apology of some sorts. Ash scoffed and looked away. That only irritated Angel, and he bounded forward and swatted the side of Ash's head.

Fluttershy gasped. "Angel!" she reprimanded. "I'm so sorry; he's-"

But she was silenced as Ash poked Angel hard in the chest. Before the rabbit could do anything else, he once again locked eyes with Ash. Immediately, pure terror enveloped the rabbit causing him to turn and run off as fast as he could.

"A-Angel!" Fluttershy cried out as her pet fled. Ash turned his head to do the same to her, but was met by a surprising sight. Fluttershy was staring at him wide-eyed, a stern and intimidating expression on her face. He was surprised that someone so timid could make such a face.

"Now that wasn't very nice wasn't it?" she told him sternly giving him the full power of her Stare. "You should be ashamed of yourself, frightening Angel like that when he wasn't doing anything to you. Now I'm going to get Angel back, and when he gets here, you're going to apologize. Understand?"

The initial shock of hearing such a bold tone from her eventually wore off. She continued to stare at Ask without even blinking. Ash in turn blinked twice and opened his mouth. "Is that all?"

Fluttershy's eyes widened and stepped back. This had never happened before; her Stare was supposed to work on anything, but this stranger wasn't even phased by it. Ash spoke once more. "You call that a gaze? This is a gaze."

He got up on all fours and brought his golden eyes up to her cyan ones. She recoiled a bit but retained eye contact. After several moments...nothing happened to Fluttershy. Surprised, Ash intensified his gaze, hoping that she would feel its power.

After several more uneventful moments, Ash finally backed off and stared at Fluttershy wide-eyed with shock. The latter didn't know what the big deal was. She tried to say something, but at that moment, he turned around, spread his wings and took off towards the forest.

"Wait! Don't-" She tried to warn him about the danger of the forest, but he had already left for its depths. Ash flew as fast as he could through trees avoiding their branches to get away from the clearing. After about a minute, he slowed down and came to a stop. Panting a bit, he leaned against a tree and wondered.

_M...My Glare...Why didn't it work?_

As he pondered that, he some rustling coming form the trees to the side. Thinking that it might be a Timberwolf or some other carnivore, Ash stood his ground, his eyes turning scarlet. That all changed when he heard a familiar voice call out.

"Ash!...Ash!...Oh, there you are."

A colt appeared from the woods. He had a thin, maroon body and a wild and bushy mane; it started off as light grey and became white as it neared the end. His dark rose-colored eyes had a strange look to them; they wide and suggested that he just had too much sugar or that he was crazy. His cutie-mark was strange; it was an eyeball that resembled his own imposed upon an image of a pony's brain.

Ash sighed as his eyes went back to their natural color. "Psych..." he said.

The latter smiled as he approached him. "Wait." Psych stared at Ash intently for a second. "What happened to you? You're all tense."

"I...Nothing happened." Ash said looking away.

Psych sighed and shook his head. "Ash, you know you can't lie to me and get away with it; no one can. D'you wanna talk about it?"

"No."

"OK. Look, lunch is up, so we should get going." Psych said before turning and walking deeper into the forest. Ash looked over his shoulder one last time thinking about that strange mare before following suit.

Ash and Psych didn't speak as they made their way through the forest. Nothing in the forest frightened Psych as well. Eventually, the two of them came across a large stone castle in the middle of a clearing, their home. Psych led the way and opened the door allowing the two of them to enter.

The headed for the dining room nearby which had only one occupant, a silver alicorn with sapphire eyes and a long, silvery mane wearing a deep purple coat. His cutie-mark was a circle the lower half of which was a sun while the upper half was a crescent moon surrounded by stars. He smiled at the two of them as they entered. "Ash, Psych, there you are. I was just about to-"

But he two colts just walked right past him as if they didn't see him at all and sat down. The alicorn, Equinox, sighed and rose from his seat. Still being ignored by the two of them, he left to get their meals ready. As the door closed, they head hoof steps heading towards the room. A few moments later, a door burst open and three stallions entered.

The first one in was an earth pony. He was tall and had a muscular build. He had a brown coat, short, a dark brown mane and light hazel eyes which were currently showing his eagerness to eat. His cutie-mark was a gold medal wearing a red cape.

"Psych, Ash, I can't believe you two beat us here." he said smiling at the two. Psych simply pouted while Ash turned his head away.

"Maybe that's cause you slowed us down Ironhead." the second stallion, a pegasus, said playfully hitting the first one in the head. He had a bright red coat, a wild, dark red mane and orange eyes. His cutie-mark was an outstretched wing that resembled his own.

"Hey! You calling me slow huh bro?" Ironhead asked getting into a small tussle with his pegasus brother.

"Ironhead, Scar, please don't make me split you two up." the third stallion, a unicorn, said sternly. His coat was beige, and his long, wavy mane was navy blue with light blue streaks. Strangely, his eyes were milky white. His cutie-mark was a saxophone shaped like a musical note.

"Alright, alright. Jeez, no need to do that Blues." Ironhead said heading for his seat. His two brothers did the same and took their places at the table. "Hey dad, how lunch coming?!"

At that moment, Equinox entered the room with six dishes carried by his magic. As he distributed, he looked around the table noticing something. As he put down the last of the plates, he went to the door and called out. "Solstice, it's time for lunch son!"

"Just a minute father! I'm almost done with my experiment!" another voice called back.

Equinox opened his mouth again, but at that moment, there as a flash of light and a unicorn appeared in their midst. He had a teal blue coat, a short, grey mane that parted in the middle, and blue green eyes behind a pair of silver-rimmed glasses. His cutie-mark consisted of three books stacked up. A fourth book with a cover covered in magic symbols leaned against it.

"Done and done. I've perfected yet another spell father." Solstice said proudly.

"I'll examine it later, but for now, it's mealtime; you've kept your brothers waiting." Solstice nodded and took his seat. Soon afterwards, their meal began.

There was a lot of talk among the brothers as they ate. Well, except for Ash and Psych which mainly kept to themselves. Equinox sighed; for years, the two of them never wanted to have anything to do with him or the rest of the family. Equinox tried everything, but his two sons refused to change. He sighed and decided to just concentrate on his meal.

_*tink_

That was when he heard it, a small sound like a pebble hitting glass. It was almost quiet, easily missed and probably nothing, but upon hearing it, Equinox froze. The glass he had been levitating with his magic fell and shattered against the floor.

The crash silenced the room and caused the six other boys to look at him. They were pretty surprised to see the look of shock and horror on his face. Finally, Scar broke the silence. "Uh...dad? What's going-"

Equinox suddenly rose from his seat and teleported out of the room. "Father wait!" Solstice shouted, but his father had already left. He had an idea to where he was and left his seat. He ran out of the room and headed up the stairs, his brother following him (Ash and Psych mostly out of curiosity rather than concern).

Led by Solstice, the brothers raced up the stairs of their home. Solstice led them to their father's study whose door was ajar. As they approached it they heard their father's voice inside.

"No...not again..."

The brothers halted in front of the door. Nervously Solstice pushed the door opened giving him and the rest of them a view of the study. It was a wide room lined with book cases and shelved on which rested a number of strange mechanical objects.

Equinox was in the middle of the room staring wide-eyed with terror at his desk. Aside from a few books and lose papers lying on it, there was what looked like a small set of scales. A small black pebble was on its left end while an identical white pebble sat on the right end. Currently, the scale was tilted to the right.

"Father, what's wrong?" Blues asked worriedly.

Equinox turned towards his sons and gulped. "I...This is hard to imagine but...I'm afraid..._it_ is happening again. I'm not sure how it will manifest, but...I doubt it would be good..."

Judging by the way he said the word "it", the six of them knew exactly what he meant. For a brief moment, the memories of that incident flooded their heads. The ground shuddering, the screams of anguish, the light that seemed to be everywhere...The idea of it happening again was just unbearable.

"W-We gotta do something!" Ironhead exclaimed. "If it's really gonna happen again, there's gotta be something we can do! I'm in dad; I wanna stop this before it happens again."

"Count me in as well father." Blues said taking a step forward. "We all suffered enough from that incident. I refuse to let others feel the same."

"I'll assist you father in any way I can." Solstice said.

"Same goes for me." Scar added. "If we all do this, we can stop it before it happens right?

The sight of their eagerness to help gave Equinox hope. He turned to last two who hadn't said anything at all. "Ash, Psych, you two suffered from that incident as well. We can't do this without you two."

"Pfft." Psych scoffed. "If it's really just like all those years ago, then what's gonna happen is their fault." He turned. "Whoever they are, I say let them suffer, let them feel our pain." He bowed his head and spoke softly. "They deserve it...for what they did to me..."

On that note, Psych left the room. Shocked his what he said, Equinox turned to Ash. "I'm not supposed to care." he said coldly.

"Don't say that Ash." Equinox told him.

"What do you know? You know what I am, so you know that I...I can't care." Ash said in a raised voice. He then spoke with a shaky voice. "L-let them die...I...I don't care if they do...I shouldn't care..." He added before quickly storming out of the room. Equinox sighed and looked down. He then felt a hoof on his shoulder and looked up to see Solstice.

"They'll come around father. One day, they will." the latter said. He had said that to his dad many times in the past. "We just...have to keep showing them that they are still part of the family. For now, we need to concentrate. Can you identify where it will happen?"

Equinox stood up and summoned a bunch of books and scrolls with his magic. Solstice and the rest stepped back as he worked. Solstice usually helped his father in case some complex spell work was needed, but there were times when Equinox said that he needed to do this on his own. Solstice understood this as one of those times.

Equinox quickly consulted several books before opening one of the scrolls revealing a map of Equestria. Afterward, he closed his eyes, and the glow around his horn intensified as he began a scan. After several tense moments, he opened his eyes and gently laid everything down around him.

"Have you identified it father?" Blues asked. Equinox nodded. "Where?"

Equinox pointed his hoof somewhere on the map of Equestria, a place not that far from their castle, a place just beyond the Everfree Forest, a place that, unless they did something, would suffer as they did.

Ponyville.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2  
INTO PONYVILLE

"Everything packed?" Equinox asked about an hour after he first heard the scales tip. Ironhead and Scar stood before him carrying saddle bags filled with food, toiletries, a few bits, and a bunch of other things needed when you needed to move away for a while.

"Yeah yeah, we got it." Scar answered his dad.

Equinox nodded. "Good. Remember, the last thing we want is mass panic so you need to lay low. No drawing attention to yourselves and no speaking about this to anypony."

"Yeah, yeah, we get it dad." Scar answered his dad. "What happens if someone asks us who we are?"

"Oh, I'm sure Ironhead can think something up." Equinox said.

That made the brown stallion smile and laugh. "Yeah, if anypony can come up with a good cover story on the fly, it's me."

"Good. It was a good thing I managed to detect it early this time. You two need to investigate Ponyville and find anything that could be causing all this." Equinox continued.

"How 'bout you guys?" Ironhead asked.

Solstice stepped forward. "Blues and I will assist father as he works from here." The beige unicorn nodded, and Solstice sighed. "Also...we'll try to convince Ash and Psych to cooperate."

The brothers were silent for a while after that; they knew that both their tasks would be difficult, but it had to be done or Ponyville would suffer. "I won't keep you two any longer." Equinox told his sons. "Now hurry; the fate of every living being in Ponyville rests in your hooves."

Both Ironhead and Scar nodded in full understanding of how important their mission was. They turned and left the house, galloping and flying into the Everfree Forest. Equinox saw them disappear into the trees and sighed hoping that they'd all be able to fix this before it was too late.

* * *

"Aw yeah! I always wanted the fate of something resting in my hooves!" Ironhead yelled excitedly as he galloped through the forest.

"Hey Ironhead! Wanna race there?" Scar asked flying above.

"Sure; no powers 'k?"

"Fine! Like I need them!"

The brothers both sped up they trip through the forest. Ironhead kept looking up from time to time to make sure Scar wasn't using his powers to cheat. Their dad said that it would take an hour of walking through the forest to get to Ponyville, and this race managed to cut that time down. Eventually, the two of them finally emerged from the forest and wound up on a path that led to Ponyville, with Ironhead the winner of the race. About three seconds later, Scar landed behind him.

"Hah! That's...532 to 534 to me!" Ironhead told his defeated brother.

The pegasus panted a bit and smiled. "Next...next time...It'll be 533 to 534..." He then collapsed out of exhaustion. "Then 533...then 534..."

Ironhead just laughed and helped his brother stand. The two brothers then took a deep breath and followed the path; Ponyville was in sight after just a few minutes.

"Alright. Let's do this." Scar said, his eyes determined.

And so they began their stroll through Ponyville. It was the middle of the afternoon, and ponies were busy with work. The road they were on was lined with stalls that sold food and other goods. The two of them walked through it headS low, trying not to attract attention to themselves.

"See anything wierd?" Scar asked.

Ironhead shook his head. He then noticed a group of ponies look at them as they passed. "We gotta find a place to stay first. They're looking at us..."

"OK. Wait." Scar suddenly realized something. "We can't use our powers in public."

"Celestia dammit." Ironhead cursed realizing the same thing. He and Scar loved their powers even though nopony outside their family knew about them. "Whatever, guess that would get us noticed."

Unbeknownst to them, a certain pink pony was happily bouncing her way in their direction.

"Hey look, we've got a job to do." Scar said. "We just gotta do what dad said y'know? All we have to do is keep cool, lay low and not attract any attention to ourselves."

"GYAAAAHHH!" The two of them jumped back at the sudden yell. Before either of them could figure out what happened, they both got a face-full of pink.

"Oh my gosh! You two are new here aren't you? You have to be 'cause I know just about everypony here in Ponyville, and since I don't know you two, that means you're new and since your new I wanna be the first to say hi and welcome to Ponyville!"

Her actions drew a lot of attention from the surrounding ponies. Ironhead and Scar looked at each other seeing their own shocked, confused and totally freaked-out expressions on the other. They hastily looked around searching for a way out when the mare suddenly gasped.

"Oh my gosh! I didn't even tell you who I am. I'm such a silly-filly; anyway, I'm Pinkie Pie, and I love parties! Birthday parties, 'Thank you' parties, anniversary parties, beach parties, pool parties, slumber parties, bachelor parties, surprise parties, good-bye parties which are really really sad, but I still make 'em lots of fun!"

"I...uh..." Ironhead stuttered still looking for a way out.

"And welcoming parties! *gasp!* That gives me an idea!" Pinkie inhaled deeply and shouted out loud to the surrounding ponies making the brothers cover their ears. "HEY EVERYPONY! WELCOMING PARTY AT SUGAR CUBE CORNER IN 10 MINUTES, AND YOU'RE ALL INVITED!"

There were cries and excited talk about the party. Soon a few ponies were heading to Sugar Cube Corner chatting about the sudden party along the way. Ironhead was the first to get over the shock of what just happened and found his voice.

"Yeah uh...Pinkie right?" he asked.

"Yup, that's me!" the mare answered cheerfully.

"Yeah look, we'd uh...we'd love to go but we got stuff to do." he told her. "So...yeah. Thanks for the invite, but we can't go..."

They both turned and tried to leave, but Pinkie had suddenly appeared before them. "But you guys must be all sad and lonely having no friends here, and this party'll give you tons of friends." Pinkie told them not dropping her cheery attitude.

"And that's good and all, but we really don't wanna go." Scar told her.

"Nonsense; everypony love my parties." Pinkie then ran up and put a hoof on each of their back. "Lemme show you. TO THE PARTY!"

* * *

"WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!" A large, excited crowd of ponies yelled out. Ironhead and Scar blinked and looked around noticing that they were in some sort of shop. Aside from the crowd of ponies already there dancing to some music, the shop seemed to sell cakes, cupcakes, pastries and other sweets. There store was also decorated with balloons streamers, a big banner that read "WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!".

So much for not drawing attention to themselves.

"Wha-but-I-we-but-" The two of them stammered as they looked around wondering how they got there. "But-But we were outside! How'd we end up here?!"

"Don't you remember?" Pinkie said seemingly popping out of nowhere and catching the two brothers by surprise. "I invited you and you didn't wanna go, so I grabbed you guys and yelled 'TO THE PARTY!' and then we had a scene change and now we're here." She pointed her hoof upwards. "What do you think that line up there was for?"

"Wha-" Scar looked upwards seeing only the ceiling. "W-What line?! What the hay are you talking about?!"

"Ah don' you mind her. That's jus' Pinkie bein' Pinkie." a new, southern voice said. The brothers watched as an orange earth pony wearing a Stetson emerged from the crowd.

"Applejack!" Pinkie cried out and hugged her friend. "You showed up!"

"Well o' course I did. Now what're we celebratin' here?" Applejack asked.

"Oh, these two here are new to Ponyville." Pinkie answered gesturing to the two brothers. Applejack trotted over to them.

"Really? Well, good to meet some new faces." Applejack extended her hoof. "Names Applejack. An' I see ya'll met Pinkie."

Ironhead gingerly took her hoof and shook it. "Yeah, I'm uh...Ironhead, and this's my brother Scarlet Blur."

"Scar for short." the latter said shaking Applejack's hoof.

"Nice to meet cha'. So, what brings you fellers here to Ponyville?" Applejack asked.

Scar hesitated a little, but Ironhead cleared his throat. Scar decided to let him do the talking. "We're looking for a job." Ironhead said calmly, totally making it up as he went along. "We're from Manehatten, but we hated the place." He put on a fake but convincing look of annoyance. "All those stuck-up ponies always doing their jobs and nothing else-ugh!"

"It was so boring there. Even our parents were just boring old accountants. My sister-" He froze for a split second there before continuing. "My sister wanted us to stay, but Scar and I wanted to get out. So we told our mom and dad that we wanted to leave and work out of town."

"They got really sad about it, but they let us go. So we ditched Manehatten and tried finding a job somewhere. We tried everywhere, Fillydelphia, Los Pegasus, Baltimare, Scar almost set the weather factory on fire-"

"That was an accident!" Scar lied.

"Whatever." Ironhead rolled his eyes. "You get the picture. So we're here now, looking for work."

Scar blinked amazed by Ironhead ability to come up with such a detailed lie. He just smiled and nodded. "Yeah, what he said."

"Need a job huh?" Applejack did some thinking. "Hmm, we could use some help at the farm. What're ya good at?"

Ironhead shrugged. "Well...I'm strong." He flexed a muscle. "Look at that" He nodded at the bulge. "You're looking at the strongest, toughest pony in Manehatten."

"Strongest one eh?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. "We could use a feller like you at the farm that it, if ya think you can handle it."

Ironhead gave her a funny look, a look Scar instantly recognized as a look of damaged pride. He just sighed and let the two of them have their bout. "What're you saying? Of course I can handle it. You calling me weak?"

"Now now, I didn't mean that." Applejack said raising her hooves up. "I was just...curious 'bout how tough ya are."

"I am tough What do I gotta do to prove it?" the stallion challenged.

Applejacks moved sideways. "Oh I think I know how."

Ironhead followed her gaze and spotted an empty table. She raised a single hoof to show him what she meant, and he understood. "If you think I'll back down just 'cause you're a girl, you're wrong."

He gave the farm pony a challenging glare which was returned with a look of determination. Followed by Scar, the two of them rushed over to the empty table and looked hooves with the other. all the while, they didn't take their eyes off the other.

The match attracted the attention of most of the other ponies who gathered to watch the hoof wrestling match. There were many cheers for Applejack and a few for Ironhead. As they were about to begin, Pinkie suddenly popped up between then wearing a cap, a stripped shirt of a referee and a whistle around her neck, making the brothers give her a funny look.

"Alright fellas, I wanna nice, clean fight." she told the two competitors. "No mean words, no bellow the belt, and go to your corners when I tell you."

"Uh, Pinkie? This isn't boxing." Scar pointed out. That didn't seem to bother the two competitors though.

"No holdin' back now ya here?" Applejack said tightening her grips.

Ironhead blinked twice before breaking out into a wide, mischievous grin. "OK. You asked for it."

_Uh oh_...Scar thought.

Pinkie placed her hooves on Applejack's and Ironhead's interlocked one. "OK you two; on three. One..."

Ironhead and Applejack tensed themselves, playful grins on both of their faces.

"Two..."

The crowd watched in anticipation.

"Three!"

Exactly one second later, there was a loud thud. Applejack blinked and looked down seeing her own hoof on the table pinned down by Ironhead's. Her jaw dropped.

"Wha-but-I-"

"And the winner is Ironhead!" Pinkie shouted raising victor's hoof. Scar and a few other ponies cheered for him, while several others continued to watch in shock and awe. "Oooh! It's too early to celebrate guys. You got more competition Ironhead."

The latter saw a group of stallions. Ironhead sighed and grabbed the hoof of his next opponent.

"This'll be quick."

* * *

Meanwhile outside the shop, a group of three mares met up, two unicorns, one purple and one white with a purple mane, and a yellow pegasus with a pink mane. The three of them had heard about Pinkie's welcoming party and wanted to meet these newcomers.

"I sure hope they're nice ponies and all." Fluttershy said as they approached the shop.

"As do I dear, and I certainly hope they're dashing." Rarity responded with a sly smile.

"Speaking of dashing, it's too bad Rainbow couldn't go." Twilight said looking up at the sky.

"I tried asking her, but she was too busy with work." Fluttershy said. "Of course, that's no reason for to be upset with her...I hope the newcomers will understand..."

As they neared Sugar Cube corner, they hear a loud cheer and a loud groan at the same time. "What the-" Twilight said as they galloped inside where they were met with a surprising sight-a large crowd of ponies watching a hoof wrestling match and another group of defeated colts lying around in defeat.

"Girls, glad you could come." Applejack said walking up to them while resting her defeated hoof. "That's the two new comers over there."

At that point, Ironhead just beat another pony who walked away bowing in defeat while he celebrated with his brother. "Well they certainly are... feisty..." Rarity said hesitantly.

Applejack chuckled a bit. "C'mon, I'll introduce ya." Applejack brought the three of them to the brothers. "Howdy fellas, I want ya both to meet my friends. This here's Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy."

"'Sup. Name's Scarlet Blur, but you can call me Scar." the red pegasus said with a salute. "And this's my brother Ironhead."

"Nice to meet ya." Ironhead said turning to them as he slammed another colt's hoof onto the table.

The girls watched as the line of challengers shortened. "He sure is strong." Twilight commented.

"Yer tellin' me." Applejack replied. "At this rate, he'll be the strongest Pony in all o' Ponyville too!"

"Don't worry Applejack." Pinkie said suddenly popping in their midst. "I called...the big guns."

"The what?"

The question was answered when the door suddenly opened with a loud bang. It caught everypony's attention and they looked to see a big red stallion standing there. "Big Macintosh! Yer here!" Applejack exclaimed to which her brother replied with a simple: "Eeyup."

With a raised eyebrow, Ironhead watched Big Macintosh walk towards the table while the remaining challengers made way from him. He heard talk among the spectators, something about that if anypony could beat him, it was Big Mac, and grinned. To him, Big Mac did look like a strong pony. Too bad he was going to beat him.

"Alright, let's see what ya got Mac." Ironhead said as he propped his hoof on the table. Bic Mac glared at him intensely before grabbing his hoof.

Pinkie appeared between the two as everypony else watched closely. "Final match time!" she shouted as Ironhead and Big Mac braced themselves. "Three...Two...One...Go!"

For a change, the match lasted longer than a second. As soon as it began, the muscles on both colts bulged out so much, their veins could be seen. The crowd saw the interlocked hooves shake as the two of them duked it out in a battle of strength.

The whole time, they never kept their eyes off the other. Ironhead was impressed; Big Mac was just as strong as he looked. No wonder everypony thought he would beat him. Ironhead admired that kind of strength, but he knew Big Mac was about to lose.

"Ironhead, what the hell!? Beat him already; he's just a bumpkin!" Scar exclaimed, alarmed that his brother hadn't won yet.

"Yeah well, yer brother's 'bout to lose to a 'bumpkin'!" Applejack countered. Neither Big Mac nor Ironhead said a word since the fight began and just continued to stare at each other determined.

Then all of a sudden, Ironhead hoof tilted slightly to the side. At that sight, the cheering for Big Mac increased dramatically. The pony himself remained as calm as ever and continued to push against Ironhead's hoof. As the latter's hoof approached the table, Scar's cries of despair increased in volume.

"D...dammit! You're suppose to be tougher than that!" he screamed.

His brothers hoof was now inching towards the surface of the table. "I...I..." Just an inch left before total defeat. "I...I..." Half an inch. A quarter of an inch.

Suddenly, Ironhead broke into a wide grin. "JUST KIDDING!"

A second later, there was a loud thud that silenced the room. Several eyes wide with shock stared at the sight-Big Mac's hoof on the table with Ironhead's on top of it. A few more seconds of stunned silence later, Pinkie spoke up albeit rather quietly.

"Th-the winner is...Ironhead?"

There was then the sound of cheering coming from a small groups of supporters. The loudest cheers came from the two brothers who did a hoof bump and bumped each others chest. Applejack, as well as her friends, continued to stare dumbfounded before them, still unable to believe that Big Mac had lost.

"Hey." said pony looked up said saw Ironhead off a hoof to him. "Y'know, you were tougher than I thought. No hard feelings?"

Big Mac looked from the hoof to the pony offering it. He broke into a wide grin and replied "Eeyup." before shaking it.

"Yay! Everypony's a winner here!" Pinkie said grabbing the two of them and pulled them close. "Don't worry; the party and the fun's not over yet!"

While the other ponies cheered and went back to enjoying the party, Scar approached Pinkie."Hey Pinkie, that's really nice and all and we're really having fun, but uh...we really have to go, don't we?" he said turning to his brother.

"Aww, really?" Pinkie pouted, her bottom lip trembling. "But-but you're having so much fun here. Can't you stay for just a teensy bit more? You haven't even tried my cupcakes yet."

"Yeah but-" At that moment, their stomachs grumbled. Causing them to grin embarrassingly. They never did exactly eat anything during lunch. Pinkie vanished for a while and returned with a tray full of cupcakes. Scar sighed. "Fine; we'll eat for a while, and then, we're outta here." he said grabbing a cupcake and taking a bite out of it.

* * *

"I can't believe we wasted the whole afternoon!"

It was sunset and, the two of them were unpacking their things in the apartment they were staying in. "You cheated didn't you?" Scar asked. "You used your powers to win all those matches."

"I...Hey, Applejack told me not to hold back, so I didn't." Ironhead argued putting his hooves up. Scar just sighed and shook his head. "But you gotta admit, that party was awesome."

"I...yeah it was, wasn't it?" Scar said with a smile. He honestly never had that much before.

"I know right? I mean, we can lay low and all that, but if Pinkie throws another party, I'm going."

"Hey!" Scar yelled out. "Don't forget to invite me too."

With that, the two brothers starter laughing and remembered the good time they had at the party. After about a minute, they stopped. "But seriously Ironhead, we can't get sidetracked here; we have a mission to do. Did you get that soil sample like dad said?"

Ironhead reached into his bag and pulled out a corked test tube filled with soil. He threw it at Scar who caught it. "They're all in danger." the earth pony said worriedly. "We...we gotta do this Scar. They'll all die if we don't..."

"Well then maybe you shouldn't've said we were looking jobs." Scar pointed out. "Isn't Applejack expecting you at her farm tomorrow?"

"Oh uh...yeah. Sorry about that." Ironhead nervously scratched the back of his hoof.

"You had to talk about a job..."

"Hey, it was the first thing I could think off! I'm a good liar, but I don't always think what's gonna happen next!"

Scar groaned and face-hoofed. "I'll check out the town while you're at the farm." He headed for the door. "I'm just gonna get this to dad."

"OK. Make sure nopony see you." Ironhead said as his brother left. Now alone, he sighed and went over to his bed and jumped on it. Staring at the ceiling, he remembered all those happy faces he saw at the party, all those ponies who had no idea of the danger they were in.

He-No. They had to save them.

He was sure Scar wouldn't mind if he slept early, so he did just that. Their mission to save Ponyville would begin the next day.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3  
THE BROTHERS' ISSUES

"No..." Equinox said almost dropping the test tube Scar had given him. Just ten minutes after Scar left the apartment, he reached his dad, briefly explained everything that had happened so far, saw his dad face-hoof for the very first time at the mess they got into, handed him the test tube and left.

Since then, he and Solstice had been performing several tests on the soil sample. He had an initial suspicion when he saw the scales tip, a suspicion that had just been proven true by his latest test. His first test was a simple physical analysis, the result of which said that it was just regular soil, but those were only the physical components. A later magical analysis of the soil confirmed his worst fear.

_It_ was going to be exactly like all those years ago...

"Father, what is it?" Solstice asked worriedly running up to him. He had been pouring over a few books when he heard his dad speak. He was very alarmed when he saw the look of panic on his face.

Equinox gulped and magically passed the test tube to his son who held it in front of him with his own magic. "Perform a magical analysis." he said which puzzled Solstice. Soil was just soil; what else could possibly be in there?

Nevertheless, he did it anyway and cast the spells necessary to perform the test. His horn glowing with a teal aura, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the test. After a few seconds of finding out what was it that made his dad react that way, a blinding flash erupted from the darkness. It caused him to gasp, stumble back and drop the test tube he was levitated, shattering it against the floor.

"Light...light..." he said stunned. He tried to calm down, but the memories started to pour in, the ground shuddering uncontrollably, screams of fright and terror, and light, pure light everywhere destroying everything like an unstoppable force. It was all he could just to stop himself from passing out.

"I see you've come to the same conclusion." Equinox said as he helped his son up. "For some reason, the ground beneath Ponyville is saturated with light. If it continues to build up..."

"They need to hurry." Solstice said before his dad could finish.

Equinox nodded. "I've already asked for daily soil samples from Scar. That way, we can monitor the amount of light in Ponyville."

"That...that's good." Solstice managed to calm down.

The alicorn patted his shoulder. "Son, perhaps it's time you got some rest.; you've been working non-stop for hours. You haven't eaten anything at all."

"Neither have you father." Solstice pointed out. His dad sighed.

"I can manage. Why don't you find Ash and Psych? I'm sure they could use some company."

"I suppose." Solstice then eyes the broken test tube shards and soil on the floor. "Allow me."

The shards and soil were brought into the air by Solstice's magic. The shards converged on each other and started piecing themselves together like a puzzle. Soon a cracked test tube was formed, but the cracks too slowly vanished. He placed the soil back in, gave it over to his dad and left deep in thought.

_I hope Ash and Psych are in the mood for talking..._

* * *

Said ponies were busy playing a game of chess. They were in Ash's room, on his bed, and absorbed in their game. Ash used his knight to take out Psych's remaining bishop which he baited with one of his pawns. After that, Ash looked up at his brother. "You could've avoided that."

Psych raised an eyebrow. "What're you talking about?"

Ash picked up the bishop and placed it with the other pieces his brother had lost. "You should've seen how much attention I've been paying to that pawn and known that I was baiting it. Nothing gets past your kinetic vision."

Psych thought about what to say. Ash was right; aside from the powers he gained after the incident, he also had kinetic vision, a talent that took him years to master fully. By at looking another pony, he can figure out what they were feeling at the moment from the small ticks and unconscious actions their body displayed. He could see eye twitches, slight spasms, flushed faces and the like as clear as day.

He did indeed see Ash's eyes travel over that pawn several times, telling him that he was planning something about it, but he allowed it to happen anyway even though he could've found a way to avoid it. Ash was really talented at chess; he didn't get that cutie-mark for nothing, and Psych had his own talents. Matches between them took a while as they were equally matched.

But sometimes, Psych would notice that his brother was having a bad time; now seemed like one of those times. Whenever this happened, he'd lose the match on purpose just to make Ash feel better. The good thing about these chess games was that Ash managed to focus on something else than his own misery for a change.

They heard a knock on the door, but they both just ignored it. A few seconds later, it swung open making Psych give an annoyed sigh, and Blues stepped into the room. "Er, Ash, Psych, having fun?" he asked trying to sound cheery.

Both ponies just ignored him. Psych moved his rook forward and took out one of Ash's pawns. "Er...Scar came back from Ponyville; see said it was quite the cheery town." Blues continued.

"What do you want?" Psych said not looking at him.

Blues was taken aback but remained calm. "Listen, I understand you two have...issues." The three of them knew just how much of an understatement that was; what Psych and Ash had was more than just a simple issue. "But can't you put them aside and help us? It will happen again. I'm sorry to reopen old wounds, but can you remembered how you both suffered back then? How all six of us suffered? Can you honestly wish the same for others?"

"Uh yeah. Yeah I do." Psych said finally looking at the unicorn who's eyes widened slightly at his brother's words. "Why should we give a damn those who hate us? Who reject us?" Psych jumped off the bed and walked towards Blues.

"They've never rejected you; they don't even know you Psych." Blues argued.

"Oh they know me alright." Psych cast a side-long look. "Every minute they spend enjoying themselves, every moment they comfort others in pain, every moment they smile, hope, dream and laugh, they reject me!The minute I come into their lives, they try to get rid of me as fast as they could!" His hooves were starting to shake in anger. If Ash wasn't in the room, he would've unleashed his powers and break Blues to pieces. "You reject me too."

"Psych, you're my brother. I would never reject you." Blues said trying to calm him down.

Psych just gave a cold, sadistic laugh at that. "Brother? Yeah right. The only reason we're a 'family' is because that bastard you call a father turned us into freaks!"

"Father saved our lives!" Blues shouted back. "He took you in, he gave you a home when your previous one was lost, he raised you like his own son! We are not freaks!"

"That's so easy for you to say. Look at you." Psych waved a hoof in his direction. "Greed. That's what he turned you into. Some ponies actually accept you! They choose to be you just so they can get whatever they want! The desire and hunger for everything this world could possibly offer...that's what you truly are!"

"I am not Greed! You and Ash are not who you believe you are!" Blues argued.

"And you're not being true to yourself!"

"I am being true to myself." Blues put a hoof on his chest. "We can choose Psych; we can choose what or who we want to be regardless of what happened to us!"

"Choose?...Choose?" At that, the maroon pony let out a long, high, cold, sadistic laugh before stomping his hoof against the floor. His voice suddenly became venomous. "That choice was ripped from us years ago! D'you think Ash and I asked for this?! Because of what he did, he branded us for life! You're so-called ability to choose is just meaningless! It just blinds you from the inescapable truth! By choosing what you want to be, you lie to yourself because you know deep down what you really are!"

Psych was panting after that outburst. Ash just turned his head away from the two, not wanting to get involved. The truth was that he disagreed with most of what Psych said. He wasn't afraid of him though; in fact, he thought that he and Psych were the same, despicable...unwanted...hated...

And he didn't blame anypony else but himself.

"I...I don't believe you Psych." Blues said calmly to his enraged brother causing the latter to roll his eyes and shake his head. "I still believe that we can choose who we wish to be, and I don't choose what you think I am." At that, Psych waved his hoof dismissively at him.

"Yeah yeah go on. You do that." He challenged. "But no matter what you do or say or think, nothing will change what you are deep down. Go ahead; choose who you wanna be, try to care for others, make them happy with that damn music you love to play." He poked Blues in the chest where his heart was. "But both of us know what's really in here, something that neither of us could ever change."

Blues was utterly speechless for a while. He had arguments like this with Psych before, and they were all just as bad as this one. "Look at me." Psych put his hooves on his own chest. "I'm Grief, sorrow, pain, everything anypony would hate in their lives. I have way more fun living up to what I am. If you guys would just let me do what I want-" He stopped and gave another laugh. "Oh yeah, you'd never do that; I know it. Deep down, you all fear and hate me."

"I...We..." Blues took a step back.

"See? You just gave yourself away." Psych said pointing at him before coldly hopping back on Ash's bed. "Get out before you really piss me off."

"Psych-"

"NOW!"

For a brief moment, Blues thought he was going to use his powers on him even with Ash still in the room. He just sighed and stepped out of the room allowing the brothers to resume their chess game. Once outside, Blues closed the door, sat on his hunches and covered his face trying to hold back tears.

"Blues?" Solstice said as he saw him. He ran over to his brother and patted him comfortingly. "Sweet Celestia, what happened? Did Psych use his powers on you?"

The beige unicorn shook his head. "Just...the same as always." Blues sighed and got up.

Solstice pursed his lips together and looked at the door. He was the eldest of the six of them, making him responsible for his younger brothers. Like Blues, he had tried to talk to Ash and Psych about their problems, but they refused to listen to him as well. He wished that there was something anypony could do, but for years, they shot down every attempt to comfort them.

"H...How were father's tests on the soil sample?" Blues asked wanting a change of topic. Solstice explained the results, stunning his brother. "This...Solstice, we must do something!"

"I know, but we can only assist father and wait for Ironhead and Scar's results. If they can successfully stop whatever is causing light to flow into Ponyville's soil, they all is well. The worst-case scenario is that it becomes too late. If we aren't united when that time comes, Ponyville is lost." He looked over to the door before him. "Until then, we must help our brothers and father as best we can."

* * *

"Check-mate." Ash said moving his rook in its final place. Psych looked around and found no way out and hung his head.

"Ah it was a good game anyway." His smile quickly turned into a frown. "Stupid Greed, ruining our game..."

"He was just trying to be nice." Ash said as he packed his chess set away. "You can't really blame others for rejecting us..."

Psych shook his head. "Ash, Ash, Ash." He patted his brother's shoulder. "You're much too swallowed up by your own self-loathing to understand the truth. When will you learn that none of this is your fault?"

Ash sighed feeling miserable once again. "Psych, can you honestly blame others? What we are deep down is just horrible; if nopony will accepts us, it's because they'd be much happier without us."

"You mean happier rejecting us? Hating us?" Psych replied. "Ash, we're a part of this world, a part that's not nice nor pleasant but is an inevitable truth that's never gonna go away. We'll always exist, and they'll always hate us. And for what? Because we're a part of this world they don't like?" He stomped his hooves angrily. "They hate us just because we're a harsh bitter truth in this world that they just can't accept!"

"But Psych, the world would be better off without us...Everypony would be much happier if we didn't exist..."

_What is this? Actual care coming from you? That's just not possible, and you know it._

Ash growled and jerked his head as that thought crossed his mind. He covered his ears and tried to fight off the pain coming from his thoughts. The sight of his face going through so much pain made Psych sigh; their chess game was suppose to make Ash feel better, but Blues had to ruin it.

"Ash?" Psych asked worriedly. After a few seconds, Ash shook his head a few more times before uncovering his ears. "There there, it's OK." He went over and gave him a comforting hug. "You don't have to worry Ash. You...are the only real brother I have...I'll accept you no matter what you are."

"H...How can you Psych? Even after all these years, I still don't understand. You know what I am deep down. In fact, I'm worse than you." Ash pushed his brother away lightly. "I'm supposed to make ponies suffer. I'm not suppose to care about anything. There's nothing I can do about it."

"Well, you could at least fix up your attitude." Psych told him. "It's others' fault you're hated in this world, not yours. Quit blaming yourself for everything Ash; turn that anger and hate to those who deserve it."

"...I am..." Ash said gloomily. Shaking his head, Psych sighed and jumped off his brother's bed.

"I'm...gonna get some rest. Night Ash." He always hated seeing Ash like that, almost as much as he hated everypony else for hating and rejecting them. Psych hung his head and left his brother's room still thinking of how he could pull Ash out of his self-loathing.

Ash was now alone with his thoughts which to him was always bad. He always looked for something, anything that would distract him from his own misery; that's what he had chess for. With nothing to do, he sighed and laid on his bed. Hoping for a dreamless sleep, he closed his eyes and slowly drifted off.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4  
SCAR'S IDOL

It was very early, earlier than he usually woke up. Ironhead yawned and grumbled as he made his way through Ponyville. Applejack had insisted that he get there early so they could start working at the farm. He hated getting up early; Scar was still asleep when he left. "Stupid job hunt..." he muttered grumpily. "Why the hell did I say that..."

Some of the stalls he passed by were being set up by their owners, ready for a day of sales. He yawned once more and looked up, seeing the sun, its tip just touching the horizon. He also saw a strange, grey, cross-eyed pegasus mare with an envelope in her mouth and a saddlebag full of more envelopes. "Weird..." he thought before continuing on.

Eventually, he came across a dirt path lined with hundreds of apple trees. Looking up ahead, he saw the gate that led to the farm and galloped there as fast as he could. Eventually, the farm that was Sweet Apple Acres came into view. Pausing for a while to catch his breath, he then entered the farm looking around for Applejack or Big Mac or somepony.

"Uh...Hey Applejack! I'm here!" he called out. "Hello?"

The barn door opened, and Ironhead approached it. To his surprise, it wasn't Applejack who exited, but a yellow filly balancing a basket over her head. She spotted him and did a double-take, causing the basket to fall off her head. She went back, stuck her head back in the barn doorway and called out. "Uh Applejack? There's somepony here..."

The barn door opened, and Applejack stepped out. She smiled upon seeing the colt and approached him. "Ironhead, glad you can make it."

"Yeah, me too." Ironhead said giving another yawn. "Ugh...Do I really gotta be this early?" he complained.

Applejack chuckled. "Well ya gotta be. There's a lotta work to get done, so we gotta start early." She turned towards the yellow fillly. "Applebloom, why don't ya come over say hi?"

The latter approached her sister and looked up at Ironhead. "Howdy mister. I'm Applebloom. Nice to meet ya."

The way she smiled at him struck his heart. For a split second, he saw another filly in her place, a filly he knew well. Luckily, he managed to disguise that feeling well enough to go unnoticed by both of them. He just smiled back at her. "Same here kid. Name's Ironhead."

"I know. Ya beat Applejack and Big Macintosh at hoof wrestlin' right? I heard all about it."

"Yup, that's me." he said proudly. Applebloom's eyes widened in admiration.

"Wow mister Ironhead; that's amazin'! Nopony's ever beaten by big brother and sister at hoofwrestlin' before!"

"I'll tell ya what's amazin, the trees on the east field that need a buckin'." Applejack told her sister. "Go on; they ain't gonna buck themselves y'know."

Applebloom nodded before picking up her basket and running off. "She's a nice kid." Ironhead said.

"Heh. She sure is. Now why I don't I show ya around?"

On that note, Applejack showed Ironhead around the farm. She took him to all the orchards lined with hundreds of apple trees, the barn where they kept the pigs, even the chicken coop. As Ironhead tried to take note of all of that, they came across an elderly mare.

"Mornin' Applejack; who's yer new friend?" she asked.

"Oh, this here's Ironhead. He'll be workin' on the farm from now on. This here's my Granny Smith." Applejack said.

"Uh, hi there ma'am." he greeted. As she smiled back at him warmly, a dog came bounding out of nowhere and went straight for AJ and started licking her face.

"And this here's Winona." she said. Winoa then got a good look at Ironhead and froze up. She jumped out of her owner's arms and started snarling and barking at Ironhead, who took a step back and placed a hoof on his chest.

_Crap...can she tell?_ he thought.

Luckily for him, Applejack was quick to control her pet. "Winona! What the-" She grabbed the dog before she could leap at Ironhead or something. "I'm awfully sorry 'bout this; she usually ain't this way 'round strangers. Down girl! What's gotten into ya?"

"I uh...maybe we should go." Ironhead suggested. Applejack understood and carried the still barking Winona off for a while. She returned a minute later.

"Now where were we?" she asked.

"Yeah, you said something about bucking apples a while ago." Ironhead said as they continued on.

"Oh yeah. That's how we get our apples 'round here." She took him over to an apple tree. "Like this."

She quickly turned and slammed her hind legs into the trunk. There was a loud thud followed by slight sway before several apples fell from their branches. "See? Real simple."

As she began to pick up the apples and toss them into a nearby basket, Ironhead looked over to another larger tree nearby. "So I just buck it?" he asked.

"Yup. One good buck'll get 'em." Applejack said walking over. "Give it a try; hit it as hard as ya can."

Ironhead raised his eyebrows. "I don't think that's a good idea..." he said nervously.

"Why's that?"

"'Cause it's still early." He gave a fake yet convincing yawn. "And I'm not really at full strength yet so..."

"Aw c'mon. Don't think ya can take it?" she asked him.

"Well...yeah but-"

"And here I was thinkin' I jus' hired the strongest pony in all Manehatten and Ponyville." She knew how to use that tone well. She had used it several times on stubborn ponies (especially a rainbow-maned friend of hers), and it got them doing what she wanted every time.

"I am!" Ironhead exclaimed, his pride hurt.

Applejack smiled slyly and began to slowly walk away. "Oh well. You don't gotta do it if ya don't wanna. I'm sorry; shoulda gotten somepony else. If yer still lookin' for a job ya can handle, I think Pinkie's hirin' too. Meantime, I'll go get Big Mac-"

Ironhead wouldn't hear the end of it. "What-I-I'll show you who's strong!" he yelled pointing at her. As he turned and reared his hind legs, Applejack smirked.

"Always works-"

The thud she heard next was a lot louder than she expected. It was then followed by a loud, ripping sound that made her freeze and was then followed by an even louder thud that made the ground shudder slightly. Blinking twice, she slowly turned around; her jaw hung loose as she took in the sight of an uprooted apple tree with a very nervous Ironhead standing before it.

"Uh...oops...?"

* * *

Scar had one big problem about his search: he had no idea where to start.

"Grr...Stupid job hunt." he grumbled as he flew around Ponyville. If only his brother wasn't at work, he could at least give some suggestion on what to do first. But he couldn't do anything about it; he'd have to search alone.

"Light...light...light..." he muttered. Nothing he found seemed to have anything to do with light. He sighed and put up and extra burst of speed, passing over ponies doing their everyday jobs. Still, he found nothing out of the ordinary. He touched down in a nearby park and sat on a bench to rest a bit.

He took this time to admire the town some more. To him, Ponyville seemed like a great place to live. The folks were nice, there were plenty of jobs to get and, knowing and somehow befriending Pinkie Pie, chanced to go to fun parties and stuff. For a while, he had been thinking of where to move to live on his own, and Ponyville seemed like the perfect place.

At least it was better than other places he knew. Twice a year, Equinox would take the six on them on family vacations to places like Fillydelphia, Los Pegasus and Manehatten (ponies there were really dull and boring). Only he had been to Cloudsdale though; it was for the Best Young Flyer's Competition, something that didn't interest Ash at all.

He stretched a little and hopped off the bench, ready to resume his investigation. Of course, he still had no leads at all. He considered finding Sweet Apple Acres and trying to get Applejack to give Ironhead some time off. Of course, Ironhead had only been there for a few hours.

"Maybe they get lunch breaks or something..." he wondered.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts, he failed to notice the storm cloud slowly approaching him from behind. Nor did he notice the sniggering, cyan pegasus behind it. Scar decided to act on his decision and spread his wings, ready to take flight. And that's when Dash hit the cloud.

The results were exactly what she expected. There was a flash and loud crack, and Scar shrieked and messed up his take off causing him to fall flat on the ground. The sight caused Rainbow to double up with laughter. She pounded the cloud several more times in her laughter, sending a few sparks flying here and there.

"Yeah yeah, now who did that?" she heard Scar say. She poked her head and got a good look at him for the first time.

"Hey new guy, over here." she called out to him.

The second he saw her, his eyes widened while his pupils shrunk at the same time. She passed it off as nothing and flew down to him. "You're the new guy right?" she said running a hoof through her mane. "Thought I'd give you my own little welcome."

Scar laughed nervously. "Yeah uh...It was…a really good prank…I uh…don't remember you at the party..." He couldn't believe his eyes; he had no idea _she_ lived in Ponyville. He tried to keep his cool even thought his heart and brain were going wild.

"Yeah, sorry about that; I slack off at work sometimes, well...most of the time, but I really had to catch up yesterday, so I couldn't go. Ah well. So...welcome to Ponyville I guess..." She shrugged and offered a hoof. "Name's Rainbow Dash."

He already knew that. "I'm...I'm Scarlet Blur...But everypony calls me Scar!" he added quickly whilst shaking her hoof. He couldn't believe it; he was actually shaking her hoof!

He sounded both nervous and excited which puzzled her a bit. "Scarlet Blur huh? Weird name." she commented. "What's up with that?"

His mission was gone from his mind which was now driven to do nothing but impress her. "It's 'cause when I hit the air, that's all anypony ever sees."

He spread his wings and took off leaving behind a small could of dust and a red after image in Dash's eyes. She turned her gaze upwards seeing his form rise higher and higher until he was nothing but a tiny red dot in the sky. When he reached a satisfactory height, he looked down on the tiny Ponyville behind him and readied himself.

"No powers..." he whispered before diving.

With Rainbow watching, Scar spun himself at a dizzying rate while the ground approached. At the last second, he pulled himself out of the dive and continued spinning as he darted across the ground. The wind he made Rainbow's mane ruffle as she watched him pull up and straighten himself out.

He spotted a bunch of clouds nearby and gathered them up and flew around them, forming them into a tall column of clouds. He flew aside before charging right in again planning on splitting the column in half. When he was halfway there, he gasped as Rainbow suddenly burst through the center of the tower, splitting it in half. He regained sense long enough to veer to the left as she flew past him. Chuckling a bit, he flew in after her.

When he finally caught up with her, she turned and flew upside down so that she could talk to him. "Yeah, I guess that was pretty good." she said with a casual wave of her hoof. "Lemme show you how we do it here in Ponyville."

She flew off prompting him to chase after her. Rainbow laughed a little at his attempt to keep up with her and sped up. Scar's eyes widened as she flew away from him and put up and extra burst of speed, reaching her once more. Flapping harder, he managed to overtake her.

Rainbow of course, just wouldn't let this happen. Scar watched her as she dipped low to the ground and flew in after her. The two pegasi flew into town with Scar worrying that they might hit something as they flew. True enough, a building which looked like the town hall came into view. The two of them veered to the right just before they could hit it.

Several ponies on the street gasped and parted as a blue shape darted past them followed by, just as his name said, a scarlet blur. They flew past buildings, stalls, street lights and other ponies without hitting anything though the wind they created caused quite a disturbance. Scar was the first to notice this and flew up to Rainbow.

"Hey, we're bothering everypony. Maybe we should pull up." he said just as they turned at a street corner, frightening Carrot Top who was on her way home after picking up groceries. "Sorry about that!" Scar called at her.

"Oh yeah. Good point." Rainbow said finally realizing the results of their little race. She looked up. "OK. Last one to that cloud smells worse than dragon dung; go!"

"Wait-what?" Scar said but Rainbow had already begun speeding towards the cloud she indicated. Not wanting to be seen as dung in her eyes, he sped up there as fast as he could. The two of them were neck and neck; it would be hard to tell who would've won. Giving out a loud cry, Scar pushed himself to flap faster, desperate to win.

The cloud burst as the two pegasi shot into it. They spread they wings and managed to brake a few feet away from where the cloud was. Panting from exhaustion they looked at each other.

"You lost." they said together while pointing at the other. "No, you did. I won." They pointed at themselves. "Quit copying me!"

Just then a third voice rang out. "Rainbow Dash!" A pegasus mare flew near them and put her hooves on her hips. "There you are; your break ended half an hour ago."

"Oh yeah. Eheh...Sorry about that Cloudkicker." Rainbow laughed embarrassed before turning to Scar. "Sorry Scar, but I gotta go..."

"Oh..." Scar said, his ears drooping a little. "I mean...I get! You got work and stuff...It's OK. I completely understand." he finished.

Rainbow smiled and gave a playful punch to his side. "You're pretty cool Scar. Maybe some day, you'll be almost as awesome as I am. Any way, I'll see ya around!"

With that, she took off with Cloudkicker, leaving behind her signature rainbow trail and a dazed and elated Scar. He had a goofy smile on his face and a distant look in his eyes. His flapping slowed down to the point where he was starting to fall slowly.

"She thinks I'm cool..." he said with a dreamy smile.

His body eventually hit the ground, but he barely registered the pain. His head was busy, filled with thoughts of Rainbow Dash, her sleek, cyan figure, her beautiful, prismatic mane, those deep, magenta eyes filled with unquenchable spirit.

"She thinks I'm cool..."


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5  
THE SECOND MEETING

"So...how was your day?"

Ironhead was a little surprised when he entered their apartment at the end of the day. After closing the front door, he turned and gasped upon seeing Scar grinning at him. He put a hoof on his chest, feeling his racing heart beat.

"What the hell Scar? You trying to give me a heart attack?" he asked annoyed.

Scar however still kept his grin on. "So...how was your day?" he repeated.

"Uh...kinda OK I guess..." Ironhead answered heading towards his room. Once there, he jumped on his bed and sighed. He looked up and was surprised to see Scar sitting on his bed with that same grin on his face.

"OK...what else?" Scar continued.

"Uh..." The confused earth pony sat up on his bed and shrugged. "Applejack kinda pissed me off when I got there, so I uh...knocked a tree over..." he said nervously. "Yeah...kinda freaked her out a bit and got a pay cut. She didn't let me buck any trees after that and made me clean up the chicken coop. Do I still smell like it?" He sniffed himself and frowned."Ugh, I need a bath. Anyway, after that, she made me sell apples at the market. After that-"

Ironhead stopped upon seeing the grin still plastered on his brother's face. "OK; you're really freaking me out now." Scar was unresponsive leading his brother to sigh. "So...how was your day?"

One second later, Scar was in his brothers face startling the latter. "It was the best day ever! You're never gonna believe what just happened!"

"Uh huh." Ironhead slowly pushed Scar's head away from him. "So what happened? You find out what's with all the light going around?"

"What?" Scar finally dropped the grin. "Oh yeah...That." He looked away guiltily.

"You forgot?!" he exclaimed.

"I-I didn't! I swear!" Scar defended. "I looked a little, then it happened!" The grin returned to his face. "I was taking a break and then...she showed up."

"Who?" Ironhead raised and eyebrow.

Scar flew over and put a leg around his brother who gave him a funny look. "Did you meet a cute girl or something?"

"You could say that..." Scar answered, his cheeks slightly flushed. "I met the coolest and most amazing pegasus in all of Equestria today; you seriously don't know who?"

"Wha-" Ironhead began, but the pieces stated to fit. Scar's goofy smile, the way he's fawning over somepony, his calling her the coolest and most amazing pegasus in all of Equestria; he knew his brother well, and there could only be one pony Scar could be talking about.

"Rainbow Dash?!"

"YES!" Scar shouted. As Ironhead rubbed his ears from the close range shout, Scar flew over to his bed and laid down.

"No freakin' way; she lives here in Ponyville?!"

"You bet she does! I showed her one of my tricks and then, she did her own and then, we flew around town and then, we had a race and then, SHE SAID I WAS COOL! And then-"

"Alright alright; I get it. Sheesh." Ironhead rolled his eyes as his brother started to go on about Rainbow.

Ever since Scar came back from that Best Young Flyer's competition, he'd been going on and on and on about some pony named Rainbow Dash who supposedly did something called a Sonic Rainboom. He'd been talking about her and attempting his own Sonic Rainboom for so long, he annoyed the whole family. It finally stopped after a month when a pissed-off Psych finally shut him up...using his powers. Ironhead shuddered at that memory; it took Scar days to recover from that and ever since, he never talked about Rainbow again (at least, not in front of Psych).

Scar eventually stopped his rambling and looked up at his brother. "You think I have a chance with her?"

Ironhead opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He tried to figure out what to say. On one hoof, he was happy that his brother had finally met his idol and inspiration despite how annoyed he gets when he fawns over her and would love to help him out with her. On the other hoof, they had a job to do; his getting a job at Sweet Apple Acres had already cut into his searching time and Scar busying himself with Rainbow would just cut into their investigation.

"Uh...look." He hated to do this. "Maybe you should...y'know...forget her for now..."

"WHAT?!" Scar was suddenly in his face again making Ironhead once again push him back. "But-but-b-but-"

"Lemme put it this way." he explained. "If Ponyville's destroyed, she'll go with it."

Orange eyes widened in shock after that. "Y-You're right!" Scar exclaimed. "There's no way I'd let her die if I can help it."

"Good to hear." Ironhead replied. "You can start saving her and the rest of Ponyville by getting this to dad."

He pulled out a corked test tube filled with soil. Scar wasted no time in taking it in his mouth and heading for the window. "I'll be back in ten minutes." he said sliding the window open and spreading his wings.

"Make sure you-" But Scar had already left before Ironhead could finish. Panicking, he looked out the window, but Scar was already gone. He began to freak out; he always told Scar to stay high above the clouds so nopony would see him use his powers, but now, giddy from his earlier encounter with Rainbow Dash, he might forget to fly high enough.

Panicking, Ironhead tried to stay positive. Maybe Scar would fly high enough to avoid being seen. Maybe nopony would notice him if he flew too low.

Right?

* * *

By the time the sun began to set and the moon about it take its place in the heavens, Fluttershy had finished feeding the animals for the night. After watching the chickens eat for a while, she put away a bag of chicken feed and made her way back to her cottage. She was thinking that after giving Angel his carrot, she'd pour herself some tea and busy herself with a novel she'd been reading.

It was during her walk back to her home that she felt the wind pick up for some strange reason. She stopped upon noticing this and looked around. As she turned her gaze upwards, the wind increased in intensity. All of a sudden, something streaked across the sky, soaring over her head and bringing an intense wind with it.

The wind was incredibly intense, stronger than any kind Fluttershy had ever encountered before. Before she knew it, her hooves left the ground, and she found herself airborne. As she tumbled about, her wings flared out, and, remembering what she could from flight school, she attempted to stabilize herself before she could crash into something.

Luckily, the wind began to die down a bit. Fluttershy managed to stop herself from tumbling and get her hooves back on the ground. It was a good thing too; looking up, she realized that she was just a foot away from smacking into the side of her house. Panting a little, she looked around seeing the animals in disarray from the earlier incident.

Instantly, she was there to calm them down. With some patience and a kind voice(not to mention a little help from her Stare), she managed to restore order to the animals. "There there. No need to worry. Everything's alright." she said soothingly to a baby rabbit shivering in fright. The bunny eventually calmed down and hopped on over to its parents.

Fluttershy smiled upon seeing that but then frowned as she heard panicked clucking coming from her chicken coop. She headed over there and entered, finding several startled chickens fluttering about. She sighed and got to work. After finally calming them down, she too managed to do the same.

_What was that? _she thought as she looked upwards. She thought she imagined it, but she could've sworn that whatever flew above her was big and fast; all she saw was a red streak. She looked down at the chickens again; while mentally making sure all of them were there, she wondered just what that red streak was.

_Wait._

She counted again to make sure, but the same result came in; a chicken was missing, one particular chicken to be exact.

"Elizabeak..." Fluttershy muttered as she left the coop and began searching everywhere for the missing chicken. When she was nowhere in sight, dread started to creep down her spine as she looked around the coop. To her dismay, she saw a trail of feathers leading away from the coop and into the Everfree Forest.

Fluttershy gulped; going into the forest alone was a bad idea, but Elizabeak was in there. Who knows what could happen if she didn't try to get her. She considered calling one of her friends to accompany her, but doing so would take too long.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and entered the woods.

It was starting to get dark; Fluttershy tried not to imagine what kind of things could be lurking around. "Elizabeak..." she called out weakly hoping to get the latter's attention and not attract any creatures to her at the same time. She ventured deeper into the forest. "Elizabeak...where are-"

Startled clucking interrupted her. She turned and saw Elizabeak emerge from a clump of bushes and head rigth for her.

"There you are." Fluttershy said. "What were you thinking running off-"

But the hen had ran pas her and made a beeline for the cottage. Fluttershy watched her leave in confusion; she seemed frightened by something, but what? She looked over at the bushes Elizabeak emerged from and gingerly took a step forward.

It was then that she smelled something strange, like something was...burning? Her eyes widened in fear; a fire in the forest could drive out any beast and send them into town. It could also spread and affect her house as well.

But it didn't seem like a forest fire. There wasn't any smoke above the trees, and there weren't any wildlife running away. But she could definitely smell something burning. Wondering what it was, she followed the path Elizabeak ran away from.

In the end, she reached a large clearing. She saw nothing burning or on fire. In fact, there was only one thing in that clearing.

The same strange colt she saw the previous day.

* * *

The surprise on Ash's face was mirrored on Fluttershy's. The latter wondered if he would fly away again like the previous day. Ash on the other hand kept his hooves on the ground. He couldn't believe he'd seen this strange pony two days in a row.

He didn't need this; he wanted her to leave, but she was strangely immune to his Glare. He had no other choice; he had to use his powers to scare her off-

_What's stopping you from reducing her to a pile of cinders?_

He closed his eyes and growled as the thought crossed his head starling Fluttershy a little. He decided to go and do just what he thought. After all, that what's he's supposed to do. He's suppose to do nothing but kill, hurt, destroy and make others suffer-

He growled again and opened his eyes, his teeth bared. Fluttershy gasped as she saw those angry eyes suddenly change from gold to scarlet. His Glare wasn't working, but fear still rooted Fluttershy to her spot. Ash focused on her and concentrated; in just a matter of seconds, she'd be burnt to a crisp.

But for some reason, he just couldn't bring himself to do it._ Do it!_ he screamed in his mind. _Burn her! Hurt her! This is what you're supposed to do! You don't have any other choice! _Fluttershy watched as his legs began to tremble.

In reality, Ash had never used his power directly on other ponies or anything living thing before. She would be his first victim, his first murder...

Ash growled loudly as he hesitated some more. He screamed in his head to burn her, but he just couldn't. He gave one last cry before falling to the side. He started panting as if he's just run a marathon. He then weakly opened his eyes; Fluttershy saw then revert back to their original golden color.

"Oh dear. Are you alright?" She galloped over to him and tried checking for injuries. He didn't seem to be hurt at all.

"Go away." Ash told her.

"B-but you look hurt." Fluttershy reasoned.

"I said go!" Ash yelled standing up. He put a his hooves on her and shoved her away from him. Fluttershy stumbled a bit but was otherwise unharmed. She looked up and saw his face and was surprised to see him staring at her wide-eyed with shock, as if he couldn't believe he'd done such a thing.

"Are...are you OK?" she asked. Every part of her told her that this was a bad pony that she had to get away from as quick as she could, but she couldn't just ignore somepony who looked like he was in pain. "You're not from Ponyville aren't you? That is...if you don't mind me asking..."

Still slightly agitated, Ash stared at her with raised eyebrows and remained silent. Fluttershy drew back a bit. "I-it's OK. You don't have to answer if you don't have to..." She looked at him and saw him watching her warily. "I'm sorry...I didn't even introduce myself...I'm...I'm Fluttershy..."

_What the hell? _Ash thought. He wondered what happened to that determined, strong-willed, apology-demanding mare he met only yesterday. Now, that same mare is standing before him apologizing and even giving him her name. He shook his head; if she knew what he really was, she'd be right in staying as far away from him as possible.

He had enough of this. Being around anypony else caused his to think things, things that hurt him greatly which is why he always wandered off alone to do his own thing. He turned around , took a few steps away from the shy mare and spread his wings.

"W-Wait!" Fluttershy called out before he could leave. "It's dangerous in the forest, especially at night. There's Timberwolves, dragons, Ursas, manticores..." Her list of horrors lurking in the forest was incomplete and would hopefully remain that way.

"I...I'll be fine..." Ash replied without looking at her.

"OK...If you say so..." he heard Fluttershy reply.

He found himself lingering longer than he wanted to. He didn't understand what was happening to him. He growled silently and fidgeted for a while before finally speaking. "Ash."

Fluttershy's ears perked up upon hearing that. "What?"

The colt turned his head to the side, but didn't exactly look directly at her. "M...my name's Ash."

Taking a deep breath, he spread his wings and took off into the forest. "Ash." she whispered to herself as he watched him leave. Noticing just how dark it was getting, she decided to follow suit and leave the clearing as well.

"What a strange pony..." she mused as her house approached. Putting Ash of out her mind, she entered her home and sighed, finally feeling at ease.

She went and made herself some nice jasmine tea. When it was ready, she settled herself on her couch and took a sip and sighed feeling totally relaxed. She reached over to a nearby shelf and grabbed a book and turned to the page where she stopped. Upon finding it, she began reading; nothing could bother her now.

Well, except a certain white bunny that hopped on her chest, pulled down her book and pointed at his opened mouth. "Oh yes. Carrot. Sorry." Fluttershy apologized as she fetched her pet's meal.

Little did she know that what she saw earlier that day wasn't a red streak.

It was a scarlet blur.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6  
SUSPICIONS

"OK, that's uh..." he did a quick count in his head. "25 bits."

The weird, cross-eyed pegasus handed in her bits before taking off, a sack of apples in her mouth. "Thanks again Ms. Hooves!" Applebloom said waving at the pegasus as he left.

It had been three days since he started working at the farm. Through the hours of working on the farm (despite being banned from the apple fields), he had gotten a little closer to the Apple family during that time though he had gained somewhat of a rival in Big Macintosh. At the moment, he was manning the a stall in the marketplace along with Applebloom.

Scar hadn't found anything that could be causing the build up of light yet which worried him. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary around Ponyville. Why the hell was the ground filled with light? If this kept up, if they were too late to find the cause, Ponyville would be destroyed just like his home all those years ago.

He looked over to Applebloom. She was a good kid, nice, sweet, kind...It made him smile. It also made him think of...his sister...

He shook his head. They had to save this town and everypony in it.

"Hey bro!" he heard a familiar voice yell. Ironhead looked to the side and saw his brother land near the stand. "I couldn't find you at the farm."

"Yeah, Applejack makes me run the stall here sometimes." the earth pony explained before speaking in a hushed tone. "So...you find anything?"

Scar shook his head and hung it in defeat. "This is stupid. Everything's normal, but dad keeps saying that there's more and more light in the soil every day." He stomped his hoof as if he was mad at the ground or something. "What the hay's going on here!?"

His shout of anger and frustration had attracted the attention of a few surrounding ponies. He recoiled slightly and spoke quietly. "What're we gonna do? Even dad's stumped."

"Huh..." Ironhead did some thinking. "D'you think maybe we could...y'know...ask for help?" he asked reluctantly.

"From whom? The ponies here?"

"Well...yeah."

"Are you crazy." Scar almost shouted. "Anypony we ask is gonna get suspicious."

"You don't have to say Ponyville's in danger. Just say that you're looking for light or something."

"Why can't you do it? You're better at making stuff up than I am."

Ironhead was interrupted by a poke to his back. He turned around and saw Applebloom as well as a long line of irritated customers. "Oh uh...Sorry!" he apologized before returning to his post.

"Ironhead..." Scar said annoyed.

"I got stuff to do." Ironhead said as he accepted another customer's bits. "Just find somepony and ask; you'll be fine!"

"But-" Unfortunately, Ironhead was already swamped by the sheer number of customers he had to attend to. Scar sighed and took off still wondering what to do.

"What was that all about?" Applebloom asked curiously.

"Eh, just brother to brother talk. Little kids like you wouldn't understand." Ironhead answered.

That caused the filly to pout and cross her hooves. "I ain't that little..." she said. The sight made Ironhead laugh and ruffle her mane a bit before going back to the customers.

* * *

"Ask somepony?...Pft. Who'd I ask?" Scar muttered as he flew around Ponyville. Their job was supposed to be a secret to avoid mass panic and chaos. Then again, they were seriously out of leads. Neither of them knew a lot about the town. Whatever could be the source of the light could be something only the ponies there would know.

He gave an annoyed sigh and dove down, landing in front of a familiar, sweets-covered building- Sugar Cube Corner. He didn't know that many ponies in town, but he certainly knew the pink mare that worked at the place.

He entered the shop and was immediately overwhelmed by the scent of freshly baked good. He took a big whiff of it and sighed contentedly before shaking his head and remembering the reason he was there in the first place.

To his delight, the mare he was looking for was right before him behind a counter. Pinkie spotted him and in right in front of him in less than a blink of an eye, a grin plastered on her face. "Hi Scar. I haven't seen you in a while. How's the job hunt thing?"

"I oh…" His eyes darted from side to side. "It's ok…I haven't found a job yet-"

"Oh I know! I bet you came here 'cause you wanna work here." Pinkie said bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Uh…no." Scar said. Pinkie stopped in mid-air and descended slowly, puzzling Scar. "I'm actually here to ask you something."

"I'm all ears." Pinkie said leaning towards him, her ears moving up and down. "Uh oh. You might wanna take a bath later."

Scar gave her yet another funny look. "What? Anyway, I was wondering...d'you know anything about...light...?"

"Hmm...Oh! I have some light right here!" She held up a flashlight up to his face and switched it on and off repeatedly.

Scar blinked several times not because of the flashlight but because she wasn't holding one when she ran up to him. "No...I don't mean that kind of light."

"Well, that's the only kind I know." Pinkie tossed the flashlight aside. "Why don't you ask Twilight? She's like, the smartiest smart pony in town; maybe she can help."

"Twilight huh?" He could somewhat recall that name from the party. "I guess I could try. Where does she live?"

"Ponyville Library. "It's a big tree thingy."

"OK then. Thanks Pinkie; I'll see you around then."

He turned and made his way to the door as Pinkie waved at him. "Bye Scar; make sure you use lotsa soap!"

Her last sentence made him turn his head towards her. "What do you-"

Unfortunately, he wasn't watching where he was going. Talking to Pinkie caused him to miss the steps outside the shop. He lost his balance and tumbled down the steps and onto the street finally stopping face-down in something damp and filthy. A raise of his head told him that he had crashed into a mud puddle. He gave an exasperated sigh before smacking himself face first into the mess beneath him.

One bubble bath later...

All clean, Scar showed up in front a large tree that looked like somepony lived in it. He knocked on the candle-marked door and waited. "Spike, could you get that? I'm a little busy at the moment."

"On it!" said a new voice, a male voice which puzzled Scar. That soon turned into surprise when the door opened, revealing a small, purple...dragon? Holding a feather duster?

"Uh, can I help you?" he said to Scar's surprised expression. The red pegasus quickly recovered.

"Sorry. I-I'm looking for Twilight." Scar explained.

"Oh. Hey Twilight! Some guy's looking for you!" the dragon called into the library before turning back to Scar. "C'mon in."

He led the way as Scar stepped into the library. Several books were scattered about the floor while some were levitated by a purple aura and placed on several shelves. Twilight saw Scar and approached him. "Oh! Hello there Scar." Her eyes traveled over the library. "Sorry about the mess. We're doing a little cleaning at the moment."

"Nah, it's fine. I'm just here to ask something real quick." Scar said.

Twilight nodded in understanding, and Scar steeled himself once again. "D'you know anything about...light...?"

The mare tapped her chin in thought. "Well...If you want to know about light, this should get you started."

A yellow book flew out of its shelf surrounded by a lavender aura. Twilight held it up in front of Scar who read the title. It was titled "Optics for Dummies".

"That's uh...not the kind of light I'm looking for." he said peering past the book at the librarian.

Twilight put the book aside and looked at him puzzled. "Really? What kind of light are you looking for?"

_Light that can blow away everything in its path..._ Scar thought. "Well...I heard there're other kinds of light."

"Really? Where'd you hear that?" Twilight asked, her interest piqued.

Scar hoped she didn't notice the sweat on his forehead. "I uh...can't remember...So...heard of any other kinds of light?"

"N-no." She shook her head. "Sorry, but I can't think of anything Scar."

The latter wasn't really surprised at all. An idea struck him. "Wait, d'you got anything on the history of Ponyville or something?"

"Huh? First you ask about light, then you ask about the town's history?" Twilight asked confused.

Too late, Scar realized that he didn't think that through. She might make a connection between Ponyville and light and get closer to the truth. "If you don't have any, then I'll-"

"Wait." Twilight said stopping him. She picked out another book titled "A Brief History of Ponyville" and gave it to Scar. "If you must know Applejack's family founded Ponyville in the first place."

"Really?" Scar took the book from her."Well, I guess this could help me. So, do I gotta pay or anything or..."

"Oh no. This is a library. Just have in back in a week OK?" Twilight told him.

"Will do. Thanks again Twilight. I'll see you around then."

With that, Scar took of carrying the book. Twilight watched him leave for a while before turning to her assistant. "Spike, you done there?"

"Almost." he replied. Indeed, his half of the library was almost completely tidy.

"Good because once you're done, we're going to look a few things up." Twilight said as she levitated some books and put them in their proper places.

"What kind of things?" Spike asked. "You mean the stuff that guy was talking about?"

She nodded. She wasn't suspicious at all, just curious. For some reason, Scar affiliated light with Ponyville which got her thinking.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7  
A LIAR'S TALE

"Blah blah blah settlers...blah blah blah Apple family...blah blah blah...Zap Apples?" Scar gave a frustrated sigh and tossed the book aside. Then thumped his head on his pillow and just laid there for a while. The book had been no help at all and just left his as clueless as ever.

Just then, he heard the front door open. "Hey Scar, I'm back!" Ironhead called out. He searched the apartment, eventually finding his brother in their room. "Lemme guess, still nothing?"

Scar shook his head but didn't raise it. Ironhead noticed the book and picked it up. "Ponyville's history?" he asked sitting on his bed and flipping through its pages.

"Yeah." Scar flipped over and faced the ceiling. "I tried asking Pinkie, but she didn't know anything and said I should go ask Twilight. After I took a bath-"

"A bath?" Ironhead raised an eyebrow.

Scar waved the question off. "Don't ask. Anyway, Twilight didn't know anything about light either, so I thought I'd find something in Ponyville's history. Turns out that was a bust too."

"Huh..." Ironhead flipped through the pages some more eventually coming across something that took him by surprise. "Wait, Applejack's family founded Ponyville?"

Scar sat up. "Yeah, Twilight told me."

Ironhead nodded and flipped a page coming across a picture of the original settlers. He didn't recognize any of them, but a caption at the bottom said that the filly in the middle was Granny Smith. _Huh...Granny didn't look to bad back in the day..._

"We've got no leads at all." Scar said miserably. " And dad said yesterday that Ash and Psych are still the same. None of us are going anywhere with this." He gave a defeated sigh.

Ironhead snapped the book shut and put it aside. "C'mon bro, don't say crap like that." He walked over to his brother. "Nothing's happened yet, so we still got time. Tell you what, I'll go ask Applejack if I can get the afternoon off, so I can help you out."

The seemed to cheer Scar up a bit. "You really think she'd let you do that."

"Eeyup."

Scar gave him a puzzled look. The brown pony realized what he just said. "Great, the Apples're starting to rub off on me..."

"That's cause you hang around them all day." Scar chuckled. "Hey, I never asked; what's farm work like?"

"Eh." Ironhead shrugged. "Pretty OK I guess. I mean, most of the stuff I gotta do isn't really that tough anyway 'cause of my strength. Sometimes, I do some plowing or helping out with the animals or taking care of the fields and stuff. Applejack still won't let me buck trees though..."

"They'd go out of business if they did that." Scar remarked with a chuckle.

"Yeah, the Apples're pretty close." Ironhead continued. "They're all really nice y'know. Big Mac's still trying to beat me at everything. Applejack's little sister's a good kid, and her grandma's really nice too. Applejack's well...she's something alright." he found himself gazing out a window. "I mean, even with the rest of 'em, running the farm's tough work. Heck, without my powers, I'd've quit by now." he let out a hearty chuckle.

"Yeah...I saw her buck apples, fix up the house, man the stall, keep an eye on Applebloom...seriously, even I think that's a lot to handle...but she does it all like it's nothing at all. That pony amazes me y'know..."

"Uh huh..." Scar got up and stretched a little. "Listen, I think it's time I go get this to dad." He held up a soil-filled test tube and opened the room's window.

"Don't fly too low." Ironhead warned still a little mad about what happened a few days ago. Scar just waved him off and took to the sky. Now alone, Ironhead sighed. He picked up the book Scar had and flipped through it some more.

"Apple family huh...?"

* * *

The next day...

"Y'know, you guys seriously need a new plow." Ironhead commented as he watched Big Mac struggle while pulling his plow which was rusty and clearly needed replacement. His own plow was the same, but he didn't that much trouble pulling it.

In a matter of minutes, his half of the field was fully plowed. After putting the tools back in the shed, he went over and saw Big Mac still busy with his half. "Hey, you want any help?" he asked.

"N..nope...I'm fine..." Big Mac replied.

The other earth pony shrugged. "If you say so. Listen uh...I'm gonna go get a drink. Just call me if you need some help."

"Will do..."

Ironhead made his way into the house and entered the kitchen. After filling up a glass, he sat down and drank from it, resting from the work he just did.

Just then, Applejack entered the room and wiped some sweat from her brow. "Hoo wee, done with your side of the field already?" she asked surprised to see him.

"Uh huh. Big Mac's only like, half done or something. Maybe you guys should get a new plow."

"Why? You got no problem with it."

"Well duh, I'm the strongest pony in two towns." Ironhead said proudly. _Probably in the world too..._

All that did was make Applejack chuckle. "Well, yer strong; I'll give ya that. Good thing too; get's a lotta work done 'round here."

"Yeah. So where were you?" Ironhead asked. AJ tilted her head upwards.

"Fixin' up a few leaky pipes." Applejack sat down across the table. "Took longer than I thought."

"Heh, farm work's really like that huh?"

"Well, yeah." Applejack shrugged. "It ain't always this easy, but hey, I can manage. You're doin' awfully well for somepony who ain't used to life like this."

"Eh. Living in Manehatten's not that bad. Really boring, yeah, but not bad." Ironhead lied.

He took a sip of his drink. "Well then how'd a boring place like that make somepony like you an' yer brother?"

"I dunno; we're just different I guess." Ironhead replied with a small smile. "You should've seen my mom and dad's looks when we told them we wanted to leave Manehatten. They actually wanted us to do the same kind of work. Can you believe that?"

"Well, it's hard to think of you two behind a desk crunchin' up numbers and all that fancy shmancy mathematical stuff to be honest." Applejack replied.

"Exactly. I told them I wasn't cut out for all that math and business crap. " Ironhead said continuing to lie and make up stories as he went.

He had absolutely no idea just who he was lying to.

"I mean, Scar and I aren't stupid or anything. Well, we never got any awards or anything in school either." He scratched the back of his head. "We just wanted a more exciting life y'know; Scar especially, and I'm kinda the same as him. My sister-"

Once again, he froze at the last word, and he felt a tiny amount of pain in his chest. "Uh...somethin' the matter sugar cube?" Applejack asked noticing this.

The colt blinked several times. "Huh? Wh-what about sugar?"

"You said something 'bout your sister." Applejack pointed out.

"Oh yeah." Ironhead regained his composure. "My sister's fine with living in Manehatten. I write to her like, every week. Heh, I tell her all the times we tried looking for jobs in other cities. I told her Ponyville's nice; she said if she wasn't so swamped with work all the time, she'd visit some time."

"That's awfully nice of her. You two seem real close." Applejack noted.

"Well, we are twins..."

"Twins? You have a twin sister?"

"Y-Yeah..."

Ironhead's heart was a battleground between the pain of loss and soothing feeling of reminiscing good times with his sister. "Her name's Ironheart, and well, she kinda looks like me; I mean, we got the same eyes and coat. She's a little thinner than me, and she's got a longer and curlier mane."

"We used to all sorts of stuff together a few years back." Ironhead found himself unable to lie any more, not about this. "We'd pretend to be super heroes and fight bad guys and stuff. We this stupid little cart outta wood and called it the Ironmobile and ran around town looking for bad guys. And-and one time, we were trying to get sompony's cat outta a tree and crashed our cart into it. A-and the cat fell and started attacking us. We gave the cat back, but our mom and dad were so mad."

After hearing his tale, Applejack watched as he laughed and thumped the kitchen table as he did. He laughed for a long time and by the time they were reduced to small chuckles, he clutched his chest as his lungs ached. When he finally stopped, he remained silent for a while.

"Dammit I miss her..."

The first bit of truth he had said in a long time.

He was silent once more. After a few seconds, he looked up and just remembered that Applejack was with him. "Uh heh, sorry Applejack. Didn't mean to ramble like that..."

"It's all right Ironhead. Hey, that was mighty sweet of ya to say 'bout yer sister." Applejack said with a smile. "How long's it been since ya last saw her?"

"A really, really...really long time." Ironhead answered.

"Ya really miss her don't ya?" He nodded. "Can't say I blame you. I'd prob'ly feel the same if Applebloom and I were apart."

Ironhead looked up at her. "Yeah; you two look really close. Applebloom kinda reminds me of Ironheart when we were kids. 'Course, Ironheart never complained about not having a Cutie'Mark yet. She's a good kid y'know."

"She sure is." Appplejack mused. "Me, Bog Macintosh, Applebloom, Granny Smith, we're all real close. Granny always told us that fam'ly sticks with ya no matter what. They ain't gonna abandon you or hate ya for who ya are." She bowed her head slightly. "And even if they leave...somehow and some way, they're still with ya..."

The silence that followed was similar to the one after Ironhead spoke. Thinking about her words, he realized that during his time at the farm, he never saw nor heard anything about Applejack's parents. He didn't want to be rude or anything and ask, but he could tell that Applejack's bond with her remaining family was just as strong as his own.

He had lost both his parents and his sister in that incident several years ago. Even to this day, he was still saddened by their deaths especially Ironheart who he was closest to and was far too young to lose her life. But despite the sadness he felt, he was happy with his current life. Equinox, Scar and the rest of them, they were his family now. Even though Ash and Psych never wanted anything to do with the rest of them, he still thought of them as his brothers. He, like Applejack, found joy and peace with the ones with was with right now.

The silence was interrupted when Big Mac stepped into the room to fetch a drink. "Oh, finally done with the field?" his sister asked. Big Mac nodded and took a drink. "That's good. After lunch, you and Ironhead can start seeding-"

"Uh, actually Applejack, I wanna ask if I can get the afternoon off. Scar's still looking for a job, and he asked if I can help." Ironhead said and in came the lies once again.

"Hmm...well, I guess you can. You have been workin' real hard here the past few days. I s'pose you can get the afternoon off." Applejack said doing some thinking. "I hope yer brother finds what he's lookin' for."

"Yeah, me too." Ironhead couldn't help but smirk at that. "Thanks Applejack."

"No prob' sugar cube. Ya deserve it; I'm a go prep up some of them seeds. Bee right back."

With that, she left the two boys alone. Ironhead turned to Big Mac. "Your sister's really something y'know. I don't really know any other girl like her."

"That's AJ for ya." Big Mac said looking at where his sister was. "The farm'd be nothin' without somepony as hard workin', devoted and tough as she is. Not to mention honest."

Ironhead blinked a few times. "Did you say honest?"

"Eeyup." he nodded. "Applejack's the most honest pony I know. You could say that it's her 'element'." he added with a light chuckle.

Ironhead blinked several times as this knew brand of information sunk in. He realized that during their entire conversation, Applejack had been completely honest with him. He was honest when he spoke about his sister, but that was just it. Everything else was nothing but lies.

Secrets and lies...that was_ his_ element.

He was too caught up in his thoughts to notice that Big Mac had left the room. He covered his face in shame and smacked his forehead against the table. Before coming to Ponyville, he'd never lied that much before, and just now he lied several times right in the face of somepony who exemplifies honesty more than anypony else.

And the guilt was crushing to say the least.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8  
EVIL, VILE, HORRIBLE AND CRUEL

That afternoon, Ash found himself wandering around the corridors of his home alone. He wanted to have a round of chess, but Psych was nowhere to be found. Their house was so big, and Psych could be anywhere. Ash decided to give and just go back to his room and stay there.

Along the way, he passed by the door leading to Soltice's room. It was ajar allowing him to peek inside. The teal unicorn was sitting on his bed on which several books and scrolls were scattered about. Five books were floating around him surrounded by a teal magical aura.

Solstice magically flipped through the pages with his magic. Every few seconds, he'd sigh and toss a book aside before replacing it with another one. As he put down a graph depicting the slow but definitely increasing amount of light in Ponyville's soil, he noticed his brother looking at him from outside.

"Oh, hello Ash. Forgive me for not seeing you there. As you can see, I've been busy for quite some time now. Why don't you come in?" Smiling warmly, Solstice magically opened the door wide for him. Ash slowly entered as Solstice went through a few more books.

"I'm afraid Scar and Ironhead's efforts in Ponyville have yielded no results. Even as we speak, light continues to fill Ponyville's soil, its cause still unknown."

Ash remained silent as Solstice sighed and placed all the books down. "But enough about that. So what have you been up to lately?" he asked cheerily.

Ash instantly knew that this was yet another attempt to reach out to him. He considered his, as well as the rest of the family's, efforts were pointless. There was nothing they could to help him; he had given up trying to change ages ago.

Solstice on the other hand refused to give up. He didn't care that Ash had spent years refusing their help. His brother was a troubled boy who needed guidance if not from their dad then from his eldest brother. He wondered if Blues had found Psych and tried talking to him. However, the thought concerned him; without Ash around, Psych wouldn't hesitate to use his powers on Blues. Solstice hoped the later would be careful.

"I know. Perhaps you'd like a game of chess. I'll have you know I'm quite talented at it." Solstice said brushing his hoof on his coat. He knew that Ash did indeed love to play chess, and without his usual opponent around, now was the chance to bond something Ash liked.

The pegasus bowed a bit. "I...OK..." he said not looking at his brother. That put a hopeful smile on Solstice's face.

"Excellent. Your set is in your room correct?" Solstice's horn glowed; a flash of teal light later, Ash's chess set appeared and landed among the books and scrolls on Solstice's bed. Using his magic once again, Solstice put all the things aside and scooted aside to let Ash hop on.

"Now then, shall we begin?

* * *

"Checkmate." Ash said several minutes later. He sighed; Solstice was good, but wasn't as good as Psych. Their match was shorter than the ones Ash usually had. As they played, Solstice tried starting up several conversations all of which Ash responded with by knocking his pieces over. Seeing the match over, Ash began to pack up his chess set.

"Say, that was a good match Ash. I honestly never expected you to be this talented." Solstice said. "I believe you earned that Cutie-Mark of yours."

Ash snapped his chess set up and began to leave. "Ash, wait. Er...perhaps another round?"

He was ignored. Solstice decided to take things a bit more seriously. "Ash listen, I know we don't usually spend much time together-"

"Just...Just stop." Ash said . He slowly turning around. "I don't want to hear it."

"Ash please...listen to me...I want to help you." Solstice jumped off the bed and approached him. "That's all any of us wish to do to you and to Psych."

"You can't. You can't help me. I'm...beyond help. You can't change who I am. Nopony can." Ash bowed his head.

Solstice gently extended a hoof. "Ash, what you think you are is far from the real you. Deep down-"

His hoof was suddenly swatted away. "Deep down, I'm nothing but evil." Ash interrupted, his legs trembling slightly. "I make ponies suffer. I care for nothing. I hurt, destroy and kill! D-don't think I won't do that to you!" he shouted, his eyes turning scarlet. "Because that's what I do! This...this is who I am!"

But in those eyes, Solstice didn't see somepony evil at all. He gingerly placed a hoof on his brother's shoulder. "Ash-"

But the later, angry and panicking, knocked his hoof aside. "Don't say I'm not. Wh-what do you know? I know what I am and...and I accept it! I'll...I'll hurt you; I'll kill you if I want to, and I'll like it too!"

_I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...who I am. Everypony hates me...I'll hurt...I'll k-kill if I want to..._

"Ash..."

_Why aren't you burning him to a crisp?_

"Ash please..."

_Hurt him! Do what you're supposed to do! Why are you hesitating?!_

"Listen to me Ash, I don't believe-"

But the later had picked up his chess set and violently through it at Solstice. At the last second, he put up a teal magical barrier around him. Ash's chess set broke in two, its pieces scattering across the floor. Solstice gently lowered his barrier and watched as a white chess pawn rolled on the floor until it his Ash's hoof.

Solstice looked up at his brother and saw him panting as he reverted his eyes back to their normal color. Those eyes still showed anger and hate within them, but Solstice saw something else, something that looked like regret. Was Ash showing remorse for his actions?

Before he could say or do anything else, Ash quickly turned and bolted out of the room as fast as he could. All Solstice could do was raise his hoof to try and stop him, but his brother had already left. Defeated, he sighed and lowered his hoof still very concerned about Ash.

He thought he almost saw tears in his eyes when he left.

* * *

Ash flew as fast as his wings allowed him. Every wing beat put him further way from his home, from Solstice and the rest of them. He wanted to be alone; he needed to be alone. Being around other ponies only made the pain worse. He angrily wiped his eyes to get rid of the small amount of tears that formed.

After flying for a long time, he finally reached the clearing he usually stayed in. But even as he touched down, his mind was still full of thoughts._ Nopony can help you..._he thought to himself_._ _Nopony can change who you are. The only thing you're capable off his hurting others. Didn't you try to hurt Solstice even when he was trying to help you? And if Psych hear about it, he'll hurt him. You just don't hurt others, you make others hurt each other as well. All you do is cause suffering._

Ash clutched his head in pain as he tried to block out his thoughts. Unfortunately, they kept on coming. "I only know how to hurt others..." he muttered as his grip tightened. "I'm evil..." His breath became ragged. "I'm vile…" He started to tremble. "I…am...CRUEL!"

He screamed as he uncovered his head and opened his eyes which suddenly turned scarlet. A sudden flash of light and a wave of heat later, the bush right next to him suddenly caught on fire. Ash flinched and scampered away from it before he could get burned. Panting, he watched as the bush was slowly consumed by the flames he created.

He had lost control of his powers. He covered his face and screamed as loud and as long as he could not caring that his throat began to ache. After several seconds, he finally stopped and slumped to the ground panting. As the smoke spiraled into the sky, Ash thought that somepony might notice it and investigate. He quickly rose left the clearing before anypony could show up. He went further into the forests, further away from his home.

To his surprise, something came up. As he parted through a pair for trees, he saw before him, a small cottage next to a small creek. He looked back; he must've reached the other end of the forest. He was also surprised that somepony would live to close to the forest despite it being full of danger.

Nevertheless, he wanted to get away. He turned and was about to leave, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw something flying towards him. He realized this too late causing what ever it was to hit him in the temple. The blow wasn't enough however to knock Ash down or critically injure him in any way. Recovered, Ash saw whatever had hit him roll across the ground in front of him-a carrot.

He looked over in the direction it came from, and, to his surprise, he saw a grumpy and very familiar white rabbit. Said rabbit was also carrying another carrot which was quickly thrown at Ash. Not wanting to get hit again, the latter focused and incinerated the carrot completely before it could hit him. The sight was enough to freak the rabbit out and made him make a beeline for the house.

Ash sighed and shook his head to get rid of the thoughts of incinerating the rabbit as well. _What's stopping you?_ He turned away and thought about his next move when he heard the door open. "Now Angel, what is it this ti-"

Both the voice and Ash stopped at the same time. The latter turned to its source and once again came face to face with that same yellow pegasus, Fluttershy. He should've known that coming across that rabbit would lead him to her again. She must live in that cottage, but who'd want to live so close to the dangerous Everfree Forrest?

"A...Ash...?" Fluttershy managed to get out. She then spotted the carrot nearby. "Oh dear, did Angel throw that? I'm so sorry. He isn't usually like this even around strangers." She bowed her head and pawed the ground a bit.

He wondered is she was going to make that rabbit apologize again just like the first time they met. Speaking of the first day they met, he also remembered her being completely unaffected by his Glare. The fact still puzzled him to this day.

Wanting to see it once again, Ash approached Fluttershy, who backed up a bit, and gazed into her eyes. Usually, it only took a few seconds before the Glare took effect and his target would be inflicted with fear and panic. Fluttershy's face showed timidity and confusion but not fear.

Ash pulled back still unable to believe what just happened. She seemed to truly be completely immune to his Glare. Fluttershy opened her mouth to say something, but Ash turned his gaze to Angel and locked eyes with him. It was just then did she noticed just how intense and focused his gaze. It actually look kinda familiar. It looked kinda liked-

"My Stare?" she said out loud. By then Angel had already ran back into her cottage. "You...You have a gaze like mine?"

Ash looked at her with furrowed eyebrows, and she backed off. "I-I'm sorry for being rude. I was just wondering..."

He sighed and shook his head. "You're pathetic." he said quietly but loud enough for her to hear him. "Y-You're weak. You're...you're a coward that can't say a damn sentence without-"

But he couldn't finish his last sentence. Stammering, he turned away from her. _What's wrong? Why'd you stop? She is weak. She is pathetic. Say it to her face!_ Ash growled but couldn't bring himself to continue his barrage of insults. It was his momentary hesitation to hurt Solstice all over again.

As for Fluttershy, she was visibly hurt from the things he said, but something in his eyes changed that. She recognized those eyes; they kinda looked like the ones on an animal frightened by something, but there was more to them than that. They seemed to be filled with...fear? Or was it something else?

Several things told her that Ash was a dangerous pony, but those eyes made her think otherwise.

"Uh…Ash?" she said snapping him out of his thoughts. "It's OK. I know you don't really mean the things you said."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I said horrible things to you, and you think I don't mean it?" He shook his head. "Well I do mean it. Y-you're pathetic…you weak…you're…Gah…"

He turned away from her and walked towards the forest. "You don't know me…I'm dangerous…I'm vile…hated…and evil…Don't…Don't think I won't hurt you!"

As he turned and shouted at her, she saw it again, the fear in his eyes. What was he afraid of? "I'll…I'll seriously hurt you…Don't say stuff like that…You don't who what I am…"

Fluttershy took a tentative step towards him. Ash tensed up but remained still. "You're right. I really don't know who you are, and to be honest, I'm afraid of you actually. But…I can see it in your eyes. You…you don't mean to be mean all the time don't you?"

Ash's eyes widened at that. He stared at Fluttershy wide-eyed with shock before running into the forest ignoring her startled yelp. After running some distance away, he spread his wings and took off. He flew through the forest, away from her, away from anypony whom he might hurt. After flying until his wings hurt, he ended up at the very he was trying to get away from in the first place-his home.

At that moment, the door opened, and Psych stepped out. "Ash, there you are." He approached his brother. "I was just about to look for-what happened?"

Ash remained silent and looked away leading the earth pony to sigh. "It's OK You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. "C'mon, let's go back in."

Psych entered the house leaving Ash alone outside. The latter had one thing on his mind, that mare Fluttershy. Her actions and what she told him greatly confused him. She didn't know anything about him and yet, she was came close to discovering his deepest secret, a secret that nopony knew of except for Psych who seemed to suspect it and was worried by it. Growling again, Ash entered his home, Fluttershy still on his mind.

* * *

_I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...who I am._

He kept repeating that mantra in his head as he stared into the black, empty void before him. He was alone, completely separated from anypony else. If there was anypony else there, he'd surely end up hurting them…

_I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...who I am._

He strangely felt a presence before him. He raised his head and saw before him that same mare, Fluttershy, care and compassion in her eyes. "Ash…" she said.

"Stop…" he told her shakily. "S-Stop it! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" he screamed at her. "Stop giving me that look! "

"But I-"

"Stop trying to help me!" he bellowed. "I'm evil! I'm vile! I'm horrible! I'm cruel! That's who I am! Stop it! Stop giving me your kindness! I…"

Ashe collapsed and began to tremble. "Stop it please…" he whispered. "I…I don't deserve it…"

"Indeed you don't." a loud, booming voice said.

Ash watched as a massive pillar of fire burst from beneath Fluttershy's hooves consuming her entirely. He gasped and backed off as the flames intensified; he could no longer see Fluttershy and assumed that she had already been burnt to a crisp. He could've done that...With his powers, something like that could easily be done to her and to others...

Eventually, the pillar died down, and a new pony stood in in Fluttershy's place, a pegasus like them. His coat was a mixture of different shades of red, orange, yellow and gold. His mane and tail were made of actual flames. The most striking part of him were his eyes. They were vividly scarlet, the exact shade his eyes took whenever he used his powers.

"You're evil. You're vile. You're horrible. You're cruel. That's...who you are." the fire pony said. "You and I are the same."

"They...They hate me...Everypony hates me..." Ash said gloomily. "I only know...how to hurt others...I'm...a monster...I don't deserve anything...or anypony..."

The fire pony nodded and vanished into nothingness. Ash was once again all alone in the middle of the vast darkness. To him, loneliness had always been a blessing. There was no one to hurt, no one to suffer because of him. He almost wished he'd never have to leave. Consumed by his grief, Ash laid down and curled up into a fetal position.

_I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...who I am._


	9. Chapter 9

So uh...how do you guys like my cover? I'm not good at drawing at all, and that was the best I could do.

* * *

CHAPTER 9  
A SCARLET PROMISE

His eyes closed, Scar felt a shaft of light hit his face. Groaning in annoyance, he turned and covered himself with a pillow to try and block out the annoying sun. When he found out that wouldn't be able to get any more sleep, he got up and stretched.

Sighing, he got out of his bed and made his way to the kitchen. Breakfast since arriving in town was always light. Today's breakfast consisted of a slice of toast and a pair of apples Ironhead brought home the previous day.

As he ate, he mused on their current situation. Even with Ironhead's help the previous day, their search had been unsuccessful. Even as he ate, more and more light was seeping into Ponyville's soil, and there was nothing hey could do to stop it. Their situation seemed hopeless; what were they to do?

Sighing, Scar put his stuff away and left the apartment. It was a beautiful day out in Ponyville despite the circumstances. Scar took to the skies and soared around wondering where he should search next. He briefly considered checking up on Twilight again to see if she'd found anything.

The idea seemed OK, but he remembered Twilight questioning him on the things he asked her. He could tell that she was starting to wonder just why he was looking for things related to light and Ponyville. If she was as smart as Pinkie said she was, maybe it'd be better off not asking her anything anymore.

Slightly frustrated at his situation, he flew up to a nearby cloud and slammed his hind legs into it. It vanished after a slight poof. That kinda helped Scar a little, but he still felt bad. He flew over to another cloud and just laid down on it and rested for a while.

As he laid there watching the clouds go by, something dashed right in front of him, missing him by just a few inches. Intrigued, he raised his head and saw several clouds suddenly vanish accompanied by a poof sound. He then saw that same something dart away from the clouds and headed towards the cloud he was one leaving a multi-colored trail in its wake-

_Wait...multi-colored trail?!_

The cloud he was lying on suddenly vanished with a small poof. With nothing to support him, Scar suddenly found himself face-to-face with a very familiar blue face, a set of surprised magenta eyes and multi-colored mane. Said pony's mouth also hung open slightly as if she wasn't expecting him at that moment.

"R-Rainbow DAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Scar wasn't flapping at all when he took her in causing him to fall several feet. Luckily for him, he managed to stop himself from falling and looked up instantly recognizing the mare. His earlier problems suddenly vanishing from his mind, he flew over to her remembering to try and play it cool despite his face heating up a bit.

"Uh-Uh-Ah-H-Hi Rainbow." he said in a slightly high-pitched voice._ Damn it you idiot!_

"Uh, hey Scar. Taking a nap?" she asked him.

"What? Uh-yeah." he replied grinning nervously. _Quit grinning like an idiot! _"So um...uh...what're you doing here?"

"Eh, just weather duty." Rainbow gestured to the clouds around them. "There's gonna be a downpour here in like, an hour or something, so I gotta clear up a few of these clouds here."

"That's...nice..." Scar said turning red in the face and mentally scolding himself for doing that. "You uh...you want any help or anything?"

Rainbow did some thinking. Scar helping her out would make her finish earlier. Less time for working meant more time to goof off. Besides, the grin on Scar's face told her that he was very eager to help her out. "You really wanna help?" she asked making sure he knew what he was doing.

"Uh huh. I-I don't mind at all." Scar replied with a nod.

That made Rainbow smile which in turn made Scar's heart do several back flips. "OK then. Let's do this thing." She rubbed her hooves together. "You can start by getting rid of that bunch of clouds over-"

Before she could even finish, Scar was already at the clouds she was indicating, leaving behind another red after image. He then started bucking and kicking them until they were gone. He moved on to another group leaving behind a red trail. Several seconds later, he was right in front of her again grinning at her, hoping that he'd done a good job.

"Wow, I guess you're not called Scarlet Blur for nothing." Rainbow said clearly impressed. She rolled her eyes. "Then again-"

She kept true to her name and dashed towards another group of clouds. Scar watched her dart from cloud to cloud, taking them out as she went; he almost felt dizzy just from watching her smack those clouds around. In what seemed like no time at all, she screeched to a halt right in front of him.

"Hah! Ten seconds flat." Rainbow said brushing her hoof on her chest. "You're gonna have to do better than that if you think you can fly with me."

"Oh yeah? Well...I'll show you!" Scar playfully called out as he flew away to take out more clouds.

Rainbow's eyes narrowed as a wide grin broke out on her face. "Pfft. More like I'll show you why I'm called the fastest pony in Equestria!"

Scar couldn't believe what was happening. He was flying and actually having fun with Rainbow Dash! Nopony else knew just how long he wished for that to happen. Ever since he first saw her at that Best Young Flyers Competition, he had wanted to meet her, to thank her for giving him a dream to fulfill, to become friends with her. And maybe...something more...

He wasn't going to deny it. He did indeed have feelings for that blue mare. He wouldn't tell her that yet in fear of freaking her out or anything.

They didn't finish in ten seconds flat, but they finished quicker than Rainbow thought they would. "Heh, I should get your help more often huh?" she told Scar.

"Y-Yeah. You just gimme a call or something. I'll help you out Rainbow." Scar told her.

"Seriously?"

"Uh huh. I haven't found a job yet, so I really don't have anything else to do." he said though a nagging voice similar to Ironhead's at the back of his head said otherwise. "What ever it is, I promise I won't ever let you down."

His crush raised an eyebrow. "Really? Pinkie Promise?"

"Huh?" This time, Scar raised an eyebrow. "Does this have something to do with Pinkie?"

"Not really, but she will start popping out of nowhere once you do it. If you're gonna be staying in Ponyville, you've got to know that." Rainbow said, the idea of Pinkie suddenly appearing out of nowhere unnerving Scar a bit. "OK, just do what I do. Cross my heart..." She drew an X on her chest.

"Cross my heart." Scar nodded and repeated the action.

"Hope to fly..." A cyan hoof extended.

"Hope to fly." A red hoof extended.

"Stick a cupcake in my eye." Rainbow closed her right eye and touched it with her hoof.

"Stick a cupcake in my eye." Scar finished the motions. He was kinda half expecting Pinkie to suddenly pop out, but they were in the air. Unless she could magically walk on clouds or something, there wasn't any chance of her appearing.

"There. Simple as that. Make sure you keep it 'k." She elbowed his side. "Pinkie said that if you break a Pinkie Promise, you lose a friend...FOREVER!" Rainbow finished dramatically.

Scar nodded in understanding but suddenly stopped when he realized something. "W-Wait...Did you say...friend?"

"Uh yeah." Rainbow tilted her head to the side. "I mean, yeah you can sometimes be a real goof ball..."

_Goof ball?_

"But hey," Rainbow shrugged. "Not a lot of ponies here can keep up with me, and well...you're a pretty cool guy. So, yeah; we are friends."

Scar's head and heart zoomed into overdrive, his grin almost similar to Pinkie's. "Uh, you OK there Scar?" he heard her say, her voice slightly vague and distant.

"Uh...Scar?"

Said pegasus snapped out of his happy trance and blinked several times. He hastily regained his composure. "You kinda spaced out there. You OK?"

"What? Oh yeah. Sorry." Scar apologized. "It's just well...Besides my family, I never really had any friends..."

He looked away from her a bit. "Well you got one now." That put a smile right back on his face. "I still got lots of time before I gotta help with the rain. I know this place that makes these totally awesome salads. you wanna check it out?"

Scar was taken a back a bit by the suggestion. When he finally recovered, he was completely ecstatic. _She wants to hang out with me!_ He cleared his throat and smiled at her. "Sure Rainbow; I'd love to."

* * *

Just a few minutes afterwards, they were seated at a small outdoor restaurant. As they waited, they continued chatting mainly about flying. They shared each other's tricks, moves, stats, experiences until the waiter showed up with their food.

"So is that Pinkie Promise thing serious?" he asked munching on his salad. Rainbow was right; it was good. "Is Pinkie really gonna pop out of nowhere or something?"

"You bet she is." Rainbow said with her mouth full. She swallowed before continuing. "She's really serious about that kind of thing. I once heard she showed up inside a mirror even though she wasn't in the room."

"S-seriously?" Scar said shocked. The pink mare was freaking him out more and more by the second. "Is she really that...that..."

"Random?" Rainbow suggested. "Yep. Totally. But hey, her Pinkie Promise things keeps most ponies from doing something bad stuff to their friends. You should've seen her when she heard one was broken. She had smoke coming out of her ears and her eyes went all red; can you believe that?"

"Well that's uh...freaky y'know?" Scar said thought the idea of somepony's eyes suddenly turning red did seem like a crazy idea to him. "How'd you know that? Have you broken a Pinkie Promise before?"

Rainbow seemed to be taken aback. "N-no. I'd never break a Pinkie promise. Heck, I'd never break a promise period." she added proudly. "It's just not my thing y'know?"

"Wow." Scar said in admiration. "You sure are good friend Rainbow."

That put a smile on her face. "Yeah; I'm not just the fastest pony in Equestria. I'll have you know I'm also the most loyal one too."

Scar's smile faltered a bit. "L...loyal...?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah." Rainbow said unaware of Scar's reaction. "I don't let anypony down, especially my friends. I'm the kind of girl that'll stick with ya until the end."

Scar blinked several times. "Wow that's...that pretty cool of you Rainbow." he said half-heartedly gazing into his salad bowl.

He had always admired Rainbow for her spirit, her determination, her willingness to never give up. Now, he had another thing to admire about her, her loyalty. Sure she had a big ego, but all in all, she'd do anything for a friend like him; she'd never hurt or betray anypony like that.

_Betray..._

That word hung around in his head for a while. Betrayal...Even he hated the idea; he'd never do anything to betray her or his family. He placed a hoof over his chest, feeling that thing deep inside him. It was the very manifestation of everything Rainbow stood against. If she ever found out about it...Would she still want to be his friend?

She did say that she'd stick by her friends until the very end but still...He didn't want to lose her trust. Trust had never really been an issue with him or Ironhead; they trusted each other despite knowing what they carry, and so did the rest of their family. Would Rainbow do the same?

"Uh, hey Scar. You doing OK? You look tense." Rainbow noted. Scar realized that he still had a hoof on his chest and a slightly melancholy look on his face.

"I..." Scar hesitated a bit. "I'm Ok. Felt a little dizzy there for a second..."

Luckily, Rainbow bought it. "If you say so." She looked aside. "Aw jeez, look at the time. I gotta go help out with that rain thing." She quickly shoved the rest of her salad into her mouth. "Vu wawa elp?" she asked, her cheeks bulging with food.

The sight made Scar laugh. "Sure Rainbow. I'd be happy to."

He took to the skies along with her. Despite his fears, he truly meant what he promised her. No matter what, he'd be just as loyal as she was all the time, and that was a promise he'd keep for as long as he lived.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10  
IRON FEELINGS

The next day...

Ironhead sighed and wiped some sweat from his brow before going back to work. He wasn't tired that much, but the hot afternoon sun made him sweat buckets. It didn't help at all that he and Applejack were busy weeding the corn fields. It was burning hot, and they weren't even half done yet.

The slightly irritated earth pony grabbed a gnarly looking weed with his teeth and yanked it out of the ground. He spat it out and turned to Applejack. "Can't the pegasi do anything about this damn heat?"

Panting a little, Applejack looked up at him. "I gotta weather pony friend down over at the town."

"Good. Ask them if we can get a cloud or something. I think I'm gonna melt." Ironhead said wishing he at least had something to drink.

Applejack looked to the side towards the trees. Spotting something there, she walked towards them. "No need for that; she's right over here. Hey Rainbow!" she shouted at the tree.

No reply came however. "Rainbow, I know yer there!" she called again. Ironhead approached her curious to whom she was calling. "Guess we gonna do this the hard way."

Applejack trotted over to the tree and gave it a good buck. There came a loud thud followed by a startled yelp as something blue fell from the tree. Ironhead realized that it was a rainbow maned pony who bolted up in surprise. She wasn't the only thing that fell out of the tree however as several apples came down, hitting her on the head and snapping her wide awake.

"Rise and shine Rainbow." Applejack said chuckling a little at her friend.

"Ow..." the blue pony groaned rubbing her head. "C'mon AJ, I was taking a nap..."

"Nap? How can ya take a nap in this here heat?"

"Like this." Rainbow leaned her head against the tree trunk and began snoring leading Applejack to roll her eyes and shake her head.

Intrigued by the mare's appearance, Ironhead approached her. "Wait. Rainbow? As in Rainbow Dash?" he asked.

Said pony opened her eyes and turned to him. "Oh hey. You're that other new guy right?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm Ironhead." he answered. "I think you met my brother Scar."

"Oh yeah, Scar." Rainbow said. "He's Ok, but can be a real goof ball some times."

"Yeah. He is isn't he. He talks a lot about you." A bad thought crossed his mind. "Hang on a sec, when was the last time you saw him?"

Rainbow did some thinking. "Uh yesterday. We hung out like...the whole morning."

It was a good thing Ironhead also had the ability to hide his own emotions. All Rainbow and Applejack saw was an innocent smile which concealed the fury boiling inside him; Scar was going to wonder why the apartment building was just a pile of rubble later. "That's cool. Hey, you think you can fetch us a cloud or something? It's like, a million degrees out here or something."

"Huh...Yeah."She yawned. "Just gimme a sec."

She flew of and returned not too long later with a bunch of clouds which she placed over the field, giving it some much-needed shade. "That's better " Applejack said looking at the field. "Thanks Rainbow. You can go back to yer nap now unless you wanna help-"

"Pass." She held up a hoof. "I gotta few tricks to work on. I'll see you guys around." She spread her wings, ready to take off.

"And Rainbow..." Ironhead said before she could leave. "If you see me brother today, tell him...tell him to keep looking. Trust me; he'll know what I mean."

"Is this about his job hunt thing? 'Cause he told me yesterday that he want to be a weather pony like me."

It was a good thing there wasn't anything to smash nearby because it'd probably be reduced to nothing by then. "Really? I gotta talk to him about that later. Thanks again for the cloud Rainbow."

The pegasus saluted before finally taking off. Applejack looked at the field and noticed just how much better it was now that it had some shade. "Hoo wee, that looks a lot better. Back to work Ironhead."

"Yeah yeah whatever." the colt said heading back to the field. He looked over in the direction Rainbow left. "Huh...so that's the girl Scar can't stop talking about..."

"No surprise there. Rainbow's got 'er own 'lil fan club in town. Scar should join up." Applejack joked.

"Uh...no." Ironhead looked around just in case anypony else was listening. "Don't tell anypony else but uh...Scar likes Rainbow. As in _like_ like."

The farm pony blinked several times in surprise. "R-Really now? Is that why she called him a goof ball?"

"Maybe." He shrugged and pulled out a few more weeds. "I kinda get it though. I mean, she's like...his first crush."

"Seriously?" Applejack asked. "I'm pretty sure there were plenty of mares back there in Manehatten."

"Yeah, but we got to meet a lot of them. Scar and I went to an all boys school." Ironhead paused realizing that he had once again lied to her. He shook his head a bit. "The only girls I really knew were my mom and... Ironheart. So yeah, Scar's a real goof ball when it comes to girls. Good thing I'm not." he added with a chuckle.

"I mean, there we saw a lot of girls when we went around looking for jobs." He flinched again at the lie. "But I dunno...None if 'em really caught my eye." He sighed and shrugged. "Guess I haven't met the right one yet."

He was silent after that thinking about how he'd just lied to her twice like that. He didn't like it one bit. Back home before he came to Ponyville, he didn't lie that much. He knew that it was to cover up their mission, but still...He didn't like the fact that he was constantly lying to somepony like Applejack, somepony so honest, so open with him, so hard-working and devoted, so nice and caring, so-

He felt a poke to his side. "Ironhead, ya can't fall asleep now. Even with the shade, you'll get yerself roasted if ya stand still like that." Applejack said bringing him back to his senses.

"Huh? Y-yeah. Sorry about that..." Ironhead replied. He watched her return to her work and found himself staring at her for a few seconds. He shook his head and silently went back to work still wondering where all those thought about Applejack came from.

After finishing the weeding, Ironhead and Applejack headed back inside to cool off a bit. "OK. Take five Ironhead. Y'all deserve it. If ya need me, I'll be fetching eggs over at the chicken coop."

She made her way out of the room but was stopped by Ironhead. "Uh...actually Applejack, I think I'll handle the chicken coop thing. You can take that break of mine." he told her.

She raised an eye brow. "Ain't ya tired from all that weedin' we did?" she asked earning a shake of a head.

"Not really. I mean, I don't think I'm as tired as you are." he said truthfully. "Hell, why don't I do your chores for the rest of the day?"

That took her by surprise. "No. That's real kind of ya, but I can't ask ya to do all that."

"Trust me; it's all good." He gave her a reassuring smile. "You work more than I do; you need a break more than I do."

"Well..." Applejack considered it. "I suppose I could take the rest of the day off, but if ya ever need help-"

"I promise I'll get help if I need it. You go take it easy now 'k. I'll see you later."

He then left the room passing by Granny Smith as he did. "That's awf'ly nice of him." she noted to her granddaughter.

"Eh, he's a good guy that Ironhead." Applejack replied. "Don't know anypony else like him." she added with a smile. "Anyway, I'm a headin' into town Granny. I'll be back 'round suppertime."

On that note, she left the farm to enjoy some nice time off while Ironhead handled her chores. Granny watched Applejack leave before turning in the direction of the chicken coop where Ironhead worked. A knowing smile graced those aged lips as she made her way outside.

* * *

_Is this how I make it up for lying to her all the time?_...Ironhead thought as he worked. Doing all her chores for her seemed like a nice thing to do, but was it enough? He hoped it would.

"Great, another bath when I get home..." Ironhead muttered sniffing himself as he came out of the chicken coop and smelling like it as well. Carefully carrying an entire basket of eggs in his mouth, he made his way across the field careful not to break anything.

As he entered the kitchen, he thought about what to do next. He would sort out the eggs later after doing some of the other stuff. He had to get the pigs fed, fertilize the corn field, pick Applebloom up from her Crusading thing or whatever it was called...it was a lot to handle. Applejack needed this day off. She didn't-

"About time ya showed up!"

The shout took him by surprise. He yelped and sent the basket full of eggs flying into the air. Panicking, Ironhead jumped and dove at the last second, sliding across the floor and catching it in his hooves. Gulping, he looked up and saw not a single egg broken or damaged in any way much to his relief.

"Don't ya know how long I've been waitin' fer this?"

Ironhead rose and placed basket on the table before any more harm could come to it. He turned around and saw who it was that startled him. "M...Mrs. Smith?!"

"Just call me Granny sonny; everypony does." the aged mare replied. "Anyhow, you don't know how long I've been waiting fer somepony like you."

"H...Huh?" Ironhead asked confused. "What d'you mean Granny? Everything looked OK before I got here. I don't-"

"I ain't talking about workin' 'ere sonny." she told him. "I mean I finally found some feisty young stallion for Applejack; somepony has ta get 'er off the farm more and live outside."

The stallion in question blinked a few times as those words and their meaning sink in. When it finally did, he cried out and jumped back. "Wh-Wh-But-But-" he stammered.

"Ya seem like a nice boy." Granny continued ignoring Ironhead's reaction. He ruffled his mane a bit. "And I can tell Applejack's already taken a shine to ya."

"But...Really?" Ironhead asked. "But...but...me and...and Applejack? That's... that's just weird! She's like...my boss or something!"

That didn't deter Granny at all. "So what? The smile she had when she talked about you, she never smiled that way 'bout any other stallion in this 'ere town b'fore."

"But...But I don't even like her like that." Ironhead argued. "Not that she's not nice and kind and funny and cool or anything, but I don't like her like that."

Granny just smiled at him. "Listen to yerself say that kinda of stuff about her." She laughed and ruffled his mane. "Take care of her ya hear? I still got plenty o' life in here bones of mine; I wanna see some great-grankids b'fore I pass."

Cackling mischievously, Granny left the room and a completely stunned and embarrassed Ironhead behind. His face a shade of red almost similar to his brother's, he quickly left the room and headed for the pig sty, but the previous conversation didn't leave his head.

_Me and Applejack together? _he thought. He shook his head thinking that it would never happen; she didn't understand what Granny was thinking. Applejack really was kind and funny and all those things he said previously, but she was honest and open, and he was just a liar, a fraud, a deceiver. He couldn't even imagine how she'd react if she found out about the lies he had been telling her.

That thought...it scared him more than anything else. Applejack finding out that he had been lying to her...That was even more frightening than the incident he and his brothers were in when they were young. It was all for a good reason but still...he didn't want her to hate him, to lose her trust. _C-Cause she's one of my only friends. _he added to his trail of thought. Granny was wrong; he didn't have any feelings towards her.

Right?


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11  
THE LIAR AND THE APPLES

At the end of that long, hot day full of unsuccessful searches, Scar was glad to finally be back at the apartment. He was very tired and hungry as well; he planned on taking a nice, relaxing bath right after getting that day's soil sample over to his dad. It was a good thing it only took him around 10 minutes to get there.

He stuck his key in and opened the door. As he closed the door, he readied the test tube already filled with soil and turned to-

"Hello there Scar." The latter was startled to see his brother sitting in a chair across his, hooves crossed with a stern look on his face.

"Uh...hey Ironhead." Scar said approaching the earth pony cautiously. He gulped a little in fear of what might happen. Ironhead looked angry which, with his powers, wasn't a good thing to see.

Ironhead glared at his brother for a few more seconds. "So...how was your day?"

The question seemed innocent, but that didn't lighten up Scar's mood. "Not that good. Still couldn't find anything about the light."

His brother nodded but continued to glare. "Ok uh..." Scar made his way to the window. "I'm gonna get this over to dad." Silence came from Ironhead. "D-Don't worry; I'll stay in the clouds this time, so I guess I'll get going..." He slowly made his way to the window before Ironhead could-

"I know about yesterday." Too late. "I ran into Rainbow Dash today. She told me all about you guys hanging out together."

"Wh-what?!" Scar exclaimed facing his accuser. _Aw crap!_

"She said you two hung out all morning yesterday." Ironhead told him. "You said you were searching all day yesterday, but you were really hanging out with her!"

Now Scar was cornered. "I...'cause...that's cause I...I'M SORRY!"

The pegasus slumped to the floor and covered his face in shame. "I'm sorry Ok?! I admit it; I'm weak when it comes to her!"

Ironhead grumbled and shook his head, disappointed by his brother. "You could've gotten more work done. I told you to stop hanging out with her. And wanting to work with her?! What's up with that?!"

"C-c'mon! Cut me some slack!" Scar yelled getting up. "You don't know what it's like to be in love!"

"Th-this isn't about me." Ironhead argued back. "This is about what we have to do. If you don't find our where all the light's coming from, Ponyville's history! And so will Rainbow!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Scar said back. "Look, I swear it won't happen again OK? I'll search all day tomorrow; I promise."

Ironhead face-hoofed. "You and your stupid crush..."

"H-hey! What I feel about her isn't stupid!" Scar yelled, his wings flaring out in agitation. "I really like Rainbow. She's pretty, she's funny, she's an awesome flyer, I've never met anypony else like her!"

"Yeah, I know all about you being a real goof ball around her." Ironhead chuckled which made his brother blush slightly.

"Hey!" Scar tried thinking up something to say back. "Um...Ah...Wh-what about you huh?"

"What about me?"

"You're always working down there at the farm right? Aren't you and Applejack...y'know..."

Ironhead couldn't believe this. "Great, not you too!" he exclaimed face hoofing once again.

Scar raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ironhead sighed and looked at his brother. "A while ago...Applejack's grandma told me that she was waiting for somepony like me...somepony that can..." He couldn't finish it.

"Seriously?" Scar chuckled which made his brother almost as scarlet as he was.

"But-but we're just friends! I don't like AJ like that."

"AJ? You got a nickname for her?"

"E-Everypony calls her that!" Ironhead argued. "I'm just her friend. End. Of. Story."

Scar gave him a sly, knowing smile, the same kind Granny had earlier. "Whatever you say bro. Whatever you say."

With that playfully mischievous smile still on his face, Scar took off to deliver that day's soil sample to their dad. Ironhead sighed glad to finally be alone. His day had been very exhausting with him being accused of liking AJ-_Applejack!_ twice. He only wanted to do one thing at that moment-sleep.

He hopped on his bed and tried to doze off before realizing something. He sniffed himself and learned that he smelled strange. He smelled like...apples. He figured that's what happens when you work at an apple farm all day. He considered washing it off but decided against it. There was something in the scent that comforted him, like he had brought a piece of the Apple Family home with him.

The thought felt nice. Deciding to just go with it and slept carrying the aroma of apples. As he laid there, his thoughts began to drift towards them-Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, Applebloom and, strangely more often than the others, Applejack.

The next day...

"Hop to it everypony! Applebloom, head fer the east field! Big Mac, you take the west and north! Git them apples in b'fore we lose 'em!"

"What about me AJ?"

"Ironhead...OK. Yer with me in the south field. I buck, you bring 'em in."

"Got it!"

For reasons unknown to the Apple Family, the storm scheduled that day came hours earlier then they were warned (a certain cyan filly was going to get in trouble with her friend). The storm threatened the apple field; the minute the sky darkened threateningly, Ironhead and the three Apple siblings got together.

Cold wind blew leaves and small twigs around as Applejack darted from tree to tree bucking apples as she went. She didn't have time to get the bring in the baskets, but that was what Ironhead was form. He darted from the barn and back delivering basket after basket quickly.

Several minutes in, the sky was completely covered with black clouds. There was a sudden flash of lighting and a great rumble of thunder before the rain started to pour. Still, Ironhead and the Apple siblings managed to bring the apples in before they could be lost.

"Almost done!" Applejack cried out bucking a tree while her partner raced back towards her passing by Big Mac who was just about done with his part of the field. She turned and headed for one of the few remaining trees.

Unfortunately, as she turned, a stray apple that had been blown by the harsh winds flew towards her and smacked her right between the eyes. The impact knocked her off course, and she stumbled a bit before stopping.

"Applejack!" Ironhead cried out running to her side. He helped her up and noticed the nasty bruise the apple made on her face.

"I'm fine." she said seeing his face. She galloped towards the remaining trees with Ironhead in tow. Together, they managed to collect the last batch of apples and darted towards the barn. After regrouping with Applebloom and Big Mac, the group dove into the barn just before the rain started to pour.

Panting and catching her breath, Applejack looked over at her siblings. "That was a close one. Good job everypony..." she said earning tired smiles from them.

A small gasp came form Applebloom. "Applejack, what happened to your face?"

"Oh." Applejack gently touched her face and winced at the sharp pain that followed. "Stray apple got to me. I'll be fine."

"Lemme take a look at that." Big Mac finally got a good look a the bruise. It was slightly swollen and discolored. "Eeyup, that's one nasty bruise sis. I'll go fetch some ice."

He left the three of them alone to do just that. "Uh hey...Applejack?" Ironhead said getting her attention. "Listen...I'm sorry I couldn't help a lot earlier. I wish I was out bucking apples with you guys."

"Well, better to lose a few apples than a few trees." Applejack smiled warmly at him. "Don't sweat it sugar cube I still couldn't've all those apples in without ya."

The way she said it, coupled with the way she called him sugar cube, scrambled his mind a bit. "Uh...thanks...?"he said in a slight daze.

"I wish I could've seen it." Applebloom said bringing him back to reality. "That'd be really cool, knocking a whole tree down. Nopony's ever done it before."

"Huh. We got a few dead trees 'round here. Think you can buck 'em out Ironhead?" Applejack asked the colt.

"What? Y-yeah. If it means helping you guys out, it's OK with me." he replied glad that he could be of help to her-_them_. he corrected mentally.

Just then Big Mac arrived with Granny and an ice bag in his hooves. "Thanks Big Mac." She put the ice bag on the bruise and sighed. "Yep, that's feels good..."

A sudden flash of lighting caught them by surprise. Granny peered through a window and saw the storm raging on outside. "That's some storm alright. Looks like we're stuck inside 'till it dies down."

"Aww; we were gonna try firefly catching today..." Applebloom said with a pout.

"Cheer up there 'lil sis." Applejack said quick to comfort her sister. "We can still have some fun inside. You up fer a game of Go Fish?"

"Do I?" she replied excitedly. "Big Mac, Ironhead, you guys wanna play too?"

Both guys looked at each other. "Sound like fun to me." Ironhead shrugged and smiled. "Yeah, I'm game."

"Ya better watch out though. I'm pretty good at it y'know." Applebloom said as they left they room.

"Huh? Maybe's that's your Cutie Mark..."

"y'know, maybe it is!"

The young filly's excitement over getting her Cutie Mark made the group laugh. As they talked on the way out, they were watched by Granny who was specifically keeping an eye on the only non-Apple Family member of the group chatting happily with her grand kids.

_Well, not Apple Family member yet..._

* * *

"Any aces?"

"Nope sorry AJ. Got any 3's Mac?"

"Eeyup. Applebloom, any Kings in there?"

"Nuh uh. Do ya have a queen sis?"

"Here ya go sugar."

Ironhead was...happy to say the least despite what was going on. The storm raging outside would've prevented Scar from searching the town thus wasting yet another day. And yet, Ironhead wasn't that much upset by it; the storm had given him the opportunity to bond with the Apple siblings.

There was a part of him, a small but growing part, that wondered what would it be like to actually be a part of this family. He ended up gazing at Applejack as he thought about it. Now that the swelling and her face was slowly reverting to its original color, he could finally get a good look at her.

The first thing he noticed were her eyes. Those emerald orbs seemed to shine with kindness and comforting warmth. Next were those freckles on the sides of her face; he found it cute how they looked against her sleek orange coat. Then there was that Stetson she always wore above that magnificent golden mane. Last of all was the smile, that gentle curve she always had whenever she gave him a "Howdy" ever time he arrived in the morning-

_SWEET BUCKING CELESTIA WHAT THE BUCKING HELL WAS THAT?!_

"Here!" Ironhead said loudly hoping to stop the thoughts while handing over a random card to Big Mac.

Three gazes pressed on him. "Uh...I asked for a nine." the other stallion pointed out.

He looked at it and saw that it was a two. "S-sorry. I uh...I mean, go fish..."

The confused gazes however continued. "You all right there sugar cube? Y'all look like Winona b'fore takin' her to the vet." Applejack pointed out.

"Well, that's..." He took a deep breath and calmed down. "I'm fine. I am guys, really."

The siblings nodded and just shrugged it off and resumed their game. Well, except for one of them- Applejack. Ironhead did look fine now, but before he shouted, she noticed something strange. He was...looking at her with a slight smile on his face.

That observation really puzzled her. A second later, she looked over at him, and he looked at her coincidentally. His light hazel eyes met her emerald ones, and neither of them said a word during this little exchange. Applejack then gave a slight shrug and a shy smile.

Ironhead's eyes widened momentarily before nervously turning away, the sight of which made her giggle a little, the sound of which made him turn back towards her. Pretty soon, both of them were laughing for no apparent reason, but neither of them really cared much.

_She's got really cute laugh_...Ironhead thought no longer caring where it came from.

"What're you two laughin' about?" Applebloom asked curiously, reminding the two chuckling ponies of the other two ponies in the room.

The two stopped laughing at the same time. "Nothing." they said together which puzzled everypony including the two of them. Just as Applebloom and Big Mac were going to ask, Applejack and Ironhead were saved by the timely arrival of Granny Smith.

"Oh Ironhead," she said sticking her head in the room. "It's still to risky ta go outside; would ya like to have dinner with us?"

He was momentarily surprised by the offer. "Really? With you guys?" He looked around at them. "Well...sure. Why not? Thanks for the offer Granny."

The latter nodded and headed out noticing just how much he was enjoying his time with her grand kids. "I hope ya like Apple Pie Ironhead 'cause Granny makes the best ones ever." Applebloom told him.

"Yeah. I can't wait." he told her. Dinner with them sounded nice, a great change from the meager dinners he usually had with Scar. He silently thanked the storm for the chance it gave him.

* * *

"Whoa...this's something alright..."

It was indeed something. Apple pies, apple fritters, apple soup, apple salads, apple everything, and everything looked delicious. "Well stop starin' and sit down sonny." Granny told him snapping him out of it.

Ironhead nodded and quickly took his seat right next to Applejack. "I don't even know where to start." he told her excitedly.

"How do the fritters sound?" she asked offering him some.

"Thanks AJ." He took one and ate it. "Mmmm. It's delicious Granny."

"Well I'm glad ya like it." the latter replied taking a slice of pie from Big Mac. "Eat up all ya want."

"Oh I will." Ironhead replied happily eating another fritter. "Hey Applebloom, can you pass me some of that pie too?"

He felt right at home. It had been a while since he had last had a nice meal with his family back home. Deep down, he sort of missed that feeling, that atmosphere of togetherness. He kinda wished Scar was there to share in the happiness he found with the Apple Family.

_Crap, when did I get so sappy?_

He honestly didn't care about those things anymore and instead just decided to enjoy his time with the Apple Family. He didn't tell any of them, but they were starting to seem like a family to him. Granny was like the grandmother he never had, Big Mac was like the brother/rival he'd always compete with, Applebloom was the like the little sister he'd missed so much, Applejack-

Applejack...She was just...Amazing not to mention friendly, kind, hard working, dedicated...the list went on and on. Never in his life had he met a mare like her, and that wasn't because she was the only mare he knew well. He realized just how fun it was being around her, how good he felt when they were together.

He inwardly wondered if she felt the same.

Several minutes later, they were done. His plate clean, Ironhead leaned back and patted his belly. "Oww...I still wanna eat, but I think I'm gonna explode or something..." he moaned in a satisfied way.

"Eeyup, that's Granny's cookin' for ya." Applejack told him. "I'll go get this stuff put away now."

"Actually, lemme help you with that." Ironhead said getting up and helping her collect plates and putting them in the kitchen sink. As he did, he noticed the sly smile and the raised eyebrow on Granny's face. He sighed a little and just tried to ignore it.

As he deposited the last of the dishes in the sink, he got a good looked out the nearby window. The rain had finally stopped falling though the occasional dripping sound could still be heard. The clouds had parted allowing little moonlight to shine on the great fields of Sweet Apple Acres.

"Looks like that there storm's finally done." Applejack commented appearing next to him.

"Yeah uh...I think I gotta go..." He realized when he just said "N-not that I don't wanna stay or anything, but...Scar's probably worried 'bout me and stuff..."

"Nah, it's all good sugar cube." his companion replied. "Why don't...why don't I walk ya out?"

"That's...nice. Thanks Applejack." Ironhead said feeling tingly for some reason.

The two of them headed back for the table. "Hey Granny, i'm really sorry, but I gotta go." he told her. "But uh...Thanks for dinner and all; it was amazing."

"Any time sonny." She stood up and ruffled his mane affectionately. "Y'all get some rest ya hear? Ya still got some work in the mornin'."

"Yeah, I get it. Thanks."

"Bye Ironhead. Let's go try Snake and Ladders next time." Applebloom said going up to him and earning a ruffle of her own mane.

"Yeah, sounds fun kiddo." He looked up from her, turned to the other stallion in the room and gave him a nod. "Mac."

He nodded back at him. "Y'all stay safe now ya hear?"

"Relax. Nothing's tough enough to take me down." Ironhead laughed a bit. "OK. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

On that note, he left the barn and trotted towards the rod to town alone with Applejack. "Lovely night ain't it?" she said as they approached the gate.

"Sure is." Ironhead replied looking at her. They eventually reached the gate and stopped there. Ironhead slowly turned around and faced the farm filly, alone, under the moonlight.

"H-hey Applejack, I uh...had lots of fun a while ago" he told her wondering why he felt so nervous. "It was a real blast hanging out with you guys."

She smiled at him affectionately. "T'was fun havin' ya around here too. I had fun today too." she replied.

Ironhead shifted around nervously and scratched the back of his head. "That's good. so uh...I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. You too...G'night Ironhead."

"G-Good night Applejack."

With a tip of her hat, she turned around and made her way back inside. Ironhead turned around too, but for some reason could not leave, not just yet. He didn't feel satisfied with a simple good bye. He felt a powerful urge to do something, something bold, something he hadn't thought of fully, something he never thought about before and quickly whipped around.

"Applejack!"

Luckily, she was still within earshot. She turned around and was momentarily surprised to see him fidgeting nervously. "A-Applejack." He tried to ignore the fact that he face was heating up. "D...D'you wanna... hang out some time...? J...just us...?"

The suggestion caught her by surprise and made her own face turn slightly pink. "W-Well I...I dunno what to say honestly." she answered just as nervous as he was. "I.. well...Aw to hay with it, sounds like fun." That made his heart do a back flip or two. "H-How does this Friday sound?"

"That's...that's great." Ironhead was smiling widely now. "Thanks. Night again Applejack."

"Good night...sugarcube..."

With that, she turned and hastily galloped back into the barn. She passed by the kitchen, went up to her room and slammed the door shut. Her entire exchange with Ironhead was noticed by the elderly mare who looked upwards towards her grand daughter's room.

"Ugh...Finally!"

Outside, Ironhead was still in his place, giddy over Applejack's acceptance. After about five minutes, he turned and finally left Sweet Apple Acres and trekked down the road to Ponyville. He felt so excited; he was going to hang out with Applejack! He was going to-

He suddenly froze mid step, his grin vanishing when the full realization of what he just did hit him. "Why the hell did I do that?!" he nearly shouted and almost woke everypony up. What was up with him? He had a mission to do and had to focus solely on that. He didn't any distractions, yet why was so willing to ask her-

It filly dawned on him.

"Ho...ly...crap..."

* * *

"Ugh...It's not morning yet..."

Scar still felt a hoof nudging him. "Quit that! I'm trying to-Ironhead! You're back!"

It was indeed his brother. "That's a relief. I got worried with the storm and all and- Are you alright?"

Ironhead said nothing and continued to stare blankly at his brother. "Hey! Bro! What's wrong?" No reply. "C'mon...say something."

Light hazel eyes looked down on him as he heard his brother speak.

"...I'm in love with Applejack..."


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12  
TALK ON THE BROTHERS

The next day...

"Spike!" said dragon felt a hoof poking his side. "Spike, wake up. I think I'm on to something here."

Annoyed slightly by the sudden awakening, Spike sat up and walked alongside the unicorn towards a desk where an open book lay. "Good; you're awake."

"Yeah thanks to you." he muttered rubbing his eyes a bit.

His tone didn't discourage Twilight. "Remember when Scar came a few days ago looking for something about light?" she told him.

"Mmmm hmm..." Spike nodded dozing off slightly.

Luckily, Twilight failed to notice. "Well, that got me thinking, so I started researching about it."

Spike, who was nodding off, was jolted awake when she held a book up to him. "Look here. It says here that Light, with a capital 'L' by the way, is one of the two primordial forces that created the universe. It says that it, along with Darkness, created a balance that must be maintained."

"That's nice..." Spike said wondering if he could still get any sleep after this. "Is that it...?"

"Pretty much." Twilight placed the book back on the desk. "The book's pretty old, written way before I was born. And there isn't much information about Ponyville in here at all. Why was Scar looking into this?"

"I dunno; maybe he's just curious. Can I go back to bed now?" Spike said glad to be done with the lecture.

She was however interrupted by a knock on the door. "Huh; I wonder who that could be."

Spike yawned as he watched her head for the door and open it. "Oh, Applejack. Good morning." Twilight greeted upon seeing her friend.

"Howdy Twi'." the farmer said with a tip of her hat. "Uh...ya got a minute? I wanna talk to ya 'bout somethin'."

Hearing that concerned Twilight a bit. She turned back to her assistant. "Spike, I'll be out for a while. Could you please put that book back and then you can go back to sleep."

"Yeah yeah." Spike replied. While Twilight left to walk with Applejack, he went over to the book she was reading previously and placed it an empty space in the shelves. He read the title in its spine and walked back to his basket thinking about its strange title.

ON THE NATURAL BALANCE  
1ST EDITION  
BY EQUINOX

* * *

"So, what's on your mind Applejack? Did something happen?" Twilight asked as they strolled through Ponyville.

Her friend stayed silent for a while before finally spitting it out. "I think Ironhead asked me out on a date."

That took her by surprise. So much so that she stopped to see if Applejack was kidding. Her friends raised eyebrow and puzzled expression made her realize she wasn't. "I... Wow, really?"

Applejack nodded. "He asked me last night if we could hang out tomorrow, so I kinda thought it was a date. Felt so weird that I had to say I had to get somethin' jus' to get away from him for a while."

"I guess things would be kind of awkward." Twilight commented. "I don't have any experience on these things to be honest. Why'd you ask me of all of us?"

"'Cause Fluttershy's at the spa with Rarity, Rarity'd probably tie me down and force a dress on me, Pinkie'd throw a party an' I can practically hear Dash singin' 'Applejack and Ironhead sittin' in a-'"

"Ok. I get it. I guess that makes sense." Twilight said. "You also said you think. You're unsure if it's a date?"

"That's right." Applejack said honestly. "All Ironhead said is that we're gonna hang out. Jus' the two of us. Does that count as a date?"

"I'm...not so sure actually." Twilight admitted. "I've never been on or even asked on a date before."

This surprised Applejack. "Really now? Ain't Canterlot fancy colts that jus' wanna get to ya?"

"Well, yes, but none of them would ever pay attention to an egghead like me." Twilight said reminiscing her days back before moving to Ponyville. "And even if they did, I'd probably be too busy studying to notice. So, yeah. I've never had any romantic experience."

She nudged her friend's side. "Anyway, let's get back to you and Ironhead. Has he been showing any signs that he could have feeling for you?"

Applejack's thoughts turned to the events that happened the previous day. "Well, I caught him lookin' at me sometimes. And he's always looks real happy when I'm around. And he did look real nervous when he asked me..."

"I see." Twilight said nodding. "I guess given the things you said, I guess we could call it a date. Ironhead must really like you Applejack."

After hearing Twilight's conclusion, Applejack reddened a bit. "R-Really now...Aw shucks, I...I don' even know what ta say. I mean, I had a few crushes or so back when I was a filly, but this's...I mean, I've never been asked out b'fore."

"You said yes didn't you?" Twilight asked. "Does that mean...you..."

"Ya mean if I like him too?" Applejack said realizing that she never really thought about it. "I...I dunno. I haven't thought about it really."

"I'm sorry Applejack." Twilight apologized. "It just that I hope you knew what you were doing when you said yes. I mean, I've read somewhere that anypony's first date is supposed to be memorable. It's supposed to lead to another and then another and then another..."

"L-let's just deal with the firs' date sugar." Applejack said wanting to take things a step at a time.

"Well we still can't call it a date just yet." Twilight told her. "Maybe Ironhead really just want to hang out."

The farmer shook her head. "I ain't so sure 'bout that. Why else would be so nervous when he asked?"

"I guess that makes sense." Twilight shrugged. "Well, I guess whatever his reason may be, you two are getting together tomorrow. I hope you two have fun."

A smile returned on Applejack's face as they stopped on the road heading for the farm. "Thanks for hearin' me out Twilight. "Don't you worry 'bout me; I'll tell you and the girls all about tomorrow."

"I'd love to hear all about it." Twilight told her. "Take care again and have fun tomorrow."

With a tip of her hat, Applejack nodded and followed the familiar path towards her home. After watching her friend leave for a while, Twilight turned around and headed for her home as well. She was however still thinking about the conversation she had with her.

_First date huh...I wonder what's that's like..._

* * *

"Ahhh...now isn't this simply divine Fluttershy?"

"Oh yes. Very..." She gave a heavy sigh. "Relaxing..."

Just as Applejack said, the two mares were currently enjoying a dip in a mud bath during their weekly spa visits. The warm, soothing mud relaxed her muscles, removing any sort of tension or stress from them. It was by far the only instance where Rarity willingly allowed mud to touch her.

"Now, where was I?" Rarity was in the middle telling Fluttershy about a particular order two days before. "Oh yes. So, she returns the hat three days after I painstakingly finished it, and insisted that I add sequins. Sequins?! Can you believe it? She obviously has no sense of fashion at all..."

Fluttershy nodded in understanding. "But you still did it did you?"

"Begrudgingly, yes." Rarity sighed before turning to the pegasus. "But enough about me. How have your days been Fluttershy?"

"Oh, same old same old..." She wondered if she should tell her about Ash. She was her one of her best friends after all and could help her out with him, but she was a bit unsure of how she'd take it.

"Actually Rarity, there is something I want to ask you about." she admitted.

"What is it Fluttershy?" Rarity inquired leaning forward a bit.

Fluttershy nervously tapped her fore hooves together wondering how best to word this. "Well...a few days ago, I met this colt-"

Rarity's reaction was just as she predicted; she scooted closer to the side of Flutteshy's mud pool and looked at her friends excitedly."Really? you met somepony? That's simple wonderful Fluttershy. Tell me, is he cute?"

The question made her face redden slightly. "I don't...I don't know...I mean, I never really thought of him like that..."

"Do you want me to set something up for you two?" Rarity offered in that same excited tone. "Oh, this is simply marvelous! I know just the perfect dress for the occasion."

"N-no Rarity. I-I appreciate the offer, but...that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Hmm? Then what is it?" Rarity asked.

It took a while for the pegasus to answer. During this time, Rarity noticed her friend looking very nervous about what she was going to say. A thought struck her, and it wiped her excited grin right off.

"Fluttershy..." Rarity put a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "Did he...is this colt bothering you?"

"What?" Fluttershy felt nervous again. "I...well...you see..."

"Darling, please be honest with me." Rarity said sincerely. "Has this colt...hurt you in any way?"

Fluttershy didn't want to lie about it to her friend. "Well...he...he did scare Angel a few times...and he shoved me once...and he...yelled at me a lot..."

Her description of Ash wasn't exactly the best. Rarity couldn't believe that her friend was being treated so harshly. "M...My word...Fluttershy, why haven't you told any of us about this?" She retreated a bit. "Where is this colt; I'll be sure he never treats you like that ever-"

"N-No. Rarity please don't." Fluttershy said holding her hooves up. "He doesn't mean it really."

Rarity looking at her quizzically. "Judging by his actions, I must disagree Fluttershy."

"You don't understand Rarity." Fluttershy reasoned. "I can see it in his eyes. Every time he did something mean, I saw this look in his eyes. It looked like...like regret Rarity."

"So, he regrets his actions yet still does them?" Rarity asked with a tilt of her head.

"I know it sound strange, but it's true. You need to trust me on this." Fluttershy told her. "He looks like he's in a lot of pain, and I can't just ignore somepony who's hurt. I...I want to help him Rarity."

When Rarity looked into those cyan eyes of hers, she saw that inner strength that Fluttershy always had despite how weak she seemed to be, that strength that came from her desire to help those who need it. Realizing this, Rarity sighed and shook her head.

"You truly are the Element of Kindness..." she mused. "If you want to help him, why don't you start by being his friend?"

"His friend?"

"Yes. You and I have both seen what kind of magic friendship can do." Rarity told her. "Perhaps it's enough to reach that boy's heart and change him."

Fluttershy considered the idea of being Ash's friend. She was still slightly afraid of him, but the pain in his eyes made her feel sorry for him. He'd most likely reject any form of friendship, but that wouldn't stop her from helping him.

"That is a good start." Fluttershy said sure of herself. "I'll do it Rarity; I'll become his friend."

Rarity smiled. "That's wonderful dear, but..." She dropped the smile and spoke seriously. "If he so much as looks at you in an uncomfortable manner-"

"I-I get it." Fluttershy said before she could finish the threat. "Thank you Rarity."

The unicorn smiled once more. "Anything darling. Now, let's forget all this for a moment and just..." She sank into her mud pool a bit. "Relax..."

Fluttershy sighed and repeated the action still thinking about Ash. The magic of friendship had changed her life as well as her friends'. If that gift could be given to him and break down whatever wall he put around himself, she might finally see the real Ash and save him from the darkness that threatened to consume him.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13  
FEAR

That same morning in a far away castle deep within the Everfree Forest, an alarm clock sounded in a young, beige unicorn's room. It's noise woke up the room's occupant, Blues, who stuck his hoof out and shut it off after a few attempts. Sighing, he rose and left for the dining room.

Upon entered it, he realized that he was alone. His dad and Solstice were either still sleeping after all the researching they did or still researching. Ash and Psych were most likely doing their own thing; they rarely had breakfast with the rest of the family. Breakfasts have become very lonely ever since Scar and Ironhead left.

He sighed once again as he poured himself some cereal. He wished he could help his dad and Solstice in their research but couldn't. His job of trying to get Ash and Psych to help them wasn't much of a success as they two were still as distant as ever.

He heard of the slowly rising amount of light in Ponyville's soil. Ironhead and Scar's efforts to search for its source have been unsuccessful as were Solstice and his dad's research. His own efforts to convince Ash and Psych to help them have so far been a failure.

Ash and Psych were just as they were for years despite how hard he tried to make them see that they were indeed loved and accepted. They've been that way for years, but it wasn't always like that. There was indeed a time where they were nothing like they were now, a time all six of them were happy with one another, a time so long ago, he wondered if Ash and Psych forgot about...

_Will that time...ever come again...?_

His ears perked up as he heard the sound of the door swinging open and a set of hooves entering the room. "Father? Solstice?" he asked.

"No, but try and guess who I am." The voice then laughed leading Blues to realize who it was.

"Psych...good morning." Blues said to his brother. "Would you like some cereal?"

The maroon earth pony went around the table and sat opposite him grabbing a bowl as he did. Blues levitated a carton of milk and a cereal box over to him, and Psych began eating. For a while, the two brothers remained silent as they ate.

"So," Blues cleared his throat, noticing that nopony else was entering the room. "Psych, will Ash be joining us?"

"Nope, still asleep. We're all alone now..." Psych's chuckle sent shivers up Blues' spine. It took him a while to compose himself.

"Well, why don't I go fetch him so we may eat together?" Blues suggested.

The suggestion earned an amused chuckle from Psych. "Yeah, you'd like that wouldn't you Greed?"

"O-Of course." Blues answered nervously. "We may not be complete, but a meal with the three of us sounds splendid."

"So insistent on that plan aren't you?." Psych commented. He pushed his half-finished bowl of cereal away, propped an elbow on the table, put his head on his hoof and grinned in that same amused manner. "Why don't we let Ash sleep? What's wrong with just the two us? Aren't I good enough company for you?"

"N-no." Blues said trying to keep his cool. "I merely think that Ash would love a meal with his brothers."

Psych frowned. "You seriously think that? You think he's just gonna waltz in right here, wish us good morning, smile and us our plans for the day?" The frown turned into an angry glare. "You deluded idiot; he's angry and miserable all the time because of you and everpony else. You don't know or understand him the way I do, so don't you dare make conclusions like that!"

That last part was true. Psych was the only pony in the entire world who completely knew and understood how Ash thought and acted and vice-versa.

"I wish to help him Psych." Blues said with all honesty. "I wish to help you and him; that's all any of us ever wanted."

"Pfft, all your attempts to 'help' him have been futile." Psych pointed out. "You claim to be helping him, but none of you have done the very first step to helping him, the first step which I've already done. He's still unchanged, but at least I'm one step ahead of any of you."

"And what would that be exactly?"

"You don't accept either of us." This was a repeat of a lot of their former arguments. "Unlike everypony else in the world, I've accepted Ash as a part of this world. You still inwardly hate and despise us."

"I...I don't hate you Psych." Blues told him.

That statement quickly brought a smile back on the earth pony's face. "Oh, you're a special case Greed. You feel something else for me...something that bothers even you...something that's been holding you back...I had my suspicions, but further observations led me to one, undeniable conclusion...I think you know what it is..."

"I...Well..."Blues swallowed-

"There." Psych quickly stood up, shoving his seat back and pointing at Blues who flinched. "You just swallowed, a clear indication of nervousness. You're also sweating slightly and tapping you hoof against the table."

Psych rose and slowly trotted around the table towards his brother. "Furthermore, your pupils are dilating, your body's become more rigid than usually though you still are trembling slightly, and your breaths have become more rapid."

Blues said nothing but flinched as Psych grabbed his chair and pulled his face closer to his. "All these signs are pointing to one, irrefutable fact Greed." His grin was wide, like that of a madman. "You," He put a hoof on Blues' chest. "Fear me."

"Wh-what?" Blues stammered. "Psych, I don't fear you."

"Pfft, you can't lie to me. Only Deceit can..." Psych continued. "I saw all of it, the eye twitch, the flushed cheek, the fact that you're blinking more rapidly than usual, everything! You just lied; you are afraid of me."

Blues opened his mouth but the only sounds that came out were strangled chokes. "But there's more to that.." Psych continued towering over him. "Despite your fear, you still make it a point to try and 'help' me and Ash."

Psych brought his face closer; Blues trembled upon feeling his breath on him. The sight of him cowering and whimpering slightly beneath him made Psych's smile widen. "Don't you find that just downright confusing? You claim to care for me like a brother, yet you're completely afraid of me? Even you must find it irrational."

"How can you possibly help either of us when you hold such fear for one of us? You talk about caring for me, but you can't stand being in the same room as me. You damn hypocrite! Your 'love' for me can't possibly exist alongside the fear that's deep within you and clashes many times with it! You think you can help me, but the fear, the dark, unbearable, nerve-wracking, paralyzing fear holds you back!"

"Your job in this whole mess with Ponyville is to get me and Ash to help you right? And what a lousy, pathetic job you've done so far! You look me in the eye, and you freak out, hesitate and panic never being able to show me the care you should be giving me; you, held back by your fear, can't do a thing to help me! You pathetic, cowardly, worthless piece of garbage!"

"You're letting them down, your dad and brothers! Putting their trust in you, was the worst mistake of their lives! I'm pretty much aware of what's going on. If all else fails, you're gonna need me and Ash to save Ponyville, but if you can't get over your fear, then it's all for naught! The light's gonna get out of control, and it'll be Quinestown all over again! All those lives, all those ponies will be destroyed ALL BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GET OVER YOUR DAMN FEAR!"

By then, Blues had been reduced to a sweating, trembling, whimpering, teary-eyed wreck, a sight that made Psych laugh with glee. How he loved this; making ponies suffer, torturing them with just mere words backed-up with information about, those were just his favorite things to do in the world.

"But now...I think you've sunk to an all-time low..." Psych said, his laugh suddenly vanishing, replaced by a much lower tone. "Wanting to get Ash? I know you know that I'd never use my powers with him around."

"Is that all he is to you? A shield to protect yourself from me? A safe zone in the middle of the storm I'm about to unleash on you?" His voice began to rise once again. "You're even worse than I though. Not only is you fear hindering you from helping us, but it's also affecting how you see Ash!"

"How dare you treat him like that! How dare you take my brother, the only pony in this whole damn world that accepted me, and reduce him to something you use for your own personal sake! If you think that I won't do anything about this, YOU'VE NEVER BEEN ANY MORE WRONG IN YOU LIFE!"

"Please..." Blues tried backing up but ended up falling backwards in his chair. "Please..." He scrambled back, but Psych slowly approached him. "Psych, please...!"

Psych slowly leaned forward, a wide, sadistic, maniacal grin stretching across his face. Anypony who ever saw that face would most likely start running away as fast as their legs could carry. "We're completely alone now, and you're too afraid to do anything to stop me."

"Please Psych! Please! Please no!"

"You brought upon yourself Greed. It's time you paid for it." Psych readied himself to unleash the full might of his power on Blues.

The defenseless unicorn could do nothing but give out a strangled cry and cover his head with his hooves as if that was enough to stop Psych's powers.

He heard the doors swing open and a set of hooves entering the room. "Oh, Ash. Good morning." Psych greeted as if he wasn't planning on hurting Blues at all.

Judging by the lack of reply, Blues confirmed that it was Ash which meant that he was safe. "Looks like you're lucky now." Psych commented turning his attention back to him. "I wonder...will you be so lucky next time?"

The heartless laughter that followed combined with the idea of being threatened again was just too much for Blues to handle. He scrambled to his hooves and galloped out of the room as fast as he could, Psych's laughter still echoing in his head.

Psych sighed. _What a great way to start the day._ he thought, a smile upon his face. He went over to his seat and resumed eating as if nothing had happened.

He always knew Blues was the weakest and most sensitive one among them. That made it so much easier to destroy him with just words. All he needed was enough information and a few choice words and he could make Blues, or anypony for that matter crumble beneath him.

He knew Blues was afraid of him and loved his family and would hate to let them down. He also wanted Ponyville to not to suffer as they did. Psych simply put the four ideas together and used them to break him to pieces. He never really cared whether Blues truly cared about him or not or if he was letting the others down or not. He only said those things to hurt him.

All he truly wanted and cared about was that look of anguish on his face; he absolutely loved seeing it on anypony's face. Seeing that face was like an early Hearth's Warming Eve present. He kinda wished he had a camera on him somewhere, to capture permanently that look of fear and sheer cowardice forever. He made a mental note to start bringing a camera everywhere to do just that.

Banishing joy and laughter, inflicting pain and misery, those were his most favorite things in the world. It was all he can do; he had no choice, so why not just kick back and enjoy it?

After all, it was his element.

* * *

After that close call in the dining room, Blues made a beeline for his room, slammed the door and jumped on his bed where he covered himself in shame and finally let the tears flow. Trembling, whimpering, tears running down his face, he never felt more pathetic in his life.

It was true, every word of it. He did love Psych like any brother should, bu the fear...the fear of him...of what he could do...it was always there. It held him back, stopped him from trying his best to be a true brother to him. His inner clash between love and fear, between helping him and avoiding him, kept his up at night sometimes. His secret was out. Nopony ever knew about this, and the first one to do so was the one pony it was about.

Psych had however failed to talk about one thing. Only one thing kept Blues doing what he could to help them, one thing that even his fear, no matter how great, can't tarnish-the memories of a time long ago, a time when there was peace in the family, a time when Psych would never think about hurting anypony, a time when Ash laughed and enjoyed his day.

He desired that more than anything else in the world.

And he would do anything and give anything to make bring back those days.


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14  
NIGHT OUT

The next day...

It was late in the afternoon. After work, Ironhead made a quick dash home to shower and freshen himself up for his...date with Applejack. The time leading up to the date was kinda awkward between them, but they managed to stay cool about it.

As he stepped out of the shower, he went over the plan in his head. They was going to have dinner at the Silver Leaf, a restaurant decent enough for a first date and not too fancy to make her feel nervous or anything. The food was good and pretty cheap as well; it was perfect.

At least, he hoped it would be perfect. Looking back on just how he asked her out, he never really mentioned a date at all. Heck, Applejack might think that this whole things was just a regular hang out with a friend, nothing special or romantic about it at all.

He didn't even know if she felt the same way about him. What if she totally got the wrong idea? What if all this thing does is just make things awkward between them and possibly ruin whatever relationship they had together? With all honesty, he could take a rejection, but the idea of no longer being friends with Applejack...that was even scarier.

He tried to stay calm about it. No matter what would happen during the following days, he would focus solely on this one night, and he was going to make sure Applejack enjoyed it.

He dried himself up and fixed his mane, making it its usual messy, but decent style. He mentally debated on whether he should bring flowers or not. It seemed like a sweet gesture, but he was worried that it would make it look like he was rushing this.

_Gah...Why can't this be easy?_

In a matter of minutes, he was all set for that night. There was just one more incredibly annoying thing to deal with. Ironhead grabbed a chair and placed it right across the doorway. He sat down, crossed his hooves and waited for his brother just like he did a few days ago.

He didn't wait too long; after about five minutes, the door swung open, and Scar stepped in. After closing the door, he turned around and was shocked to find his brother the say way he did a few days ago. Ironhead got up and made his way to the startled pegasus.

"I-I didn't hang out with Rainbow today! I swear!" Scar was quickly silenced as Ironhead shoved a hoof in his mouth.

"I'm...going out tonight." he told his nervous brother. "I think you know where I'm going, and I admit it OK? I really hate to do this, but to make it fair, you can do whatever you want tomorrow." Scar's eyes widened, but Ironhead continued. "But, if you rub it in my face in any way or follow me tonight, I'm hurling you all the way to Vanhoover. Get it?"

Scar nodded in full understanding. Ironhead really hated threatening his brother, but if there was one thing he hated, it was gloating. He removed his hoof from Scar mouth, wiped it, and spoke much more calmly. "Don't wait up for me. Get the soil to dad, and stay low OK?" Ironhead said.

Scar nodded once again. Finally satisfied, Ironhead decided that it was time to go. "OK...Let's do this crap!"

He quickly turned and galloped out of the room and down the hall. "Hey wait!" Ironhead screeched to a halt and turned around. He found his brother sticking his head out the doorway and beaming at him. "Go get her bro." Scar said with a playful salute.

"Yeah. I'll tell you all 'bout it!" Knowing that his brother had his back, Ironhead ran off to go make Applejack's night a truly memorable one full of optimism and cheer.

* * *

That optimism and cheer however slowly vanished as he neared Sweet Apple acres, replaced by worry and anxiety. It came to a point when he was sweating so much, he was tempted to race back to his apartment and take another shower. He walked down that road several times; why was this time so difficult?

Nevertheless, he pressed on until he finally reached the barn. He took a deep breath and knocked; he waited for a while for somepony like Granny Smith or Big Mac or Applebloom to answer it-

"Applejack?" He wasn't expecting to confront her already.

"Oh, howdy there Ironhead. Ya ready to go?" Applejack said still slightly nervous on how things would turn out.

"Y-Yeah; all set here." Ironhead replied with a nervous chuckle.

The two were suddenly interrupted by an elderly voice. "Aww, ain't that the sweetest thing."

Granny Smith suddenly squeezed herself between the two and pulled them close to her. "Oh, I remember when yer gran pappy firs' asked me out. Took 'im a lot longer that Ironhead over 'ere to finally do it." She laughed and made the two ponies near her blush with embarrassment.

She eventually released the two. "Now you two have fun ya here? Stay safe and be back by 11."

"Granny, I know what I'm doin'; I ain't a little filly no more." Applejack said embarrassed by her grandmother's treatment.

"O' course you ain't. You got yerself a nice, handsome young stallion now." Applejack and Ironhead turned redder. "I'll leave you two alone now. Have fun!"

With that, she shut the door, leaving Applejack and Ironhead in the middle of a very awkward silence. This was eventually broken by Ironhead who cleared his throat and turned to her.

"Hey AJ, totally random question: Just how old is granny?"

* * *

"Anyway, thanks for hanging out with me tonight AJ." Ironhead said once they left the farm. "Ever since I got here, I never really got to hang out with anypony much."

"S'no problem sugar cube." Applejack told him. "Ya deserve a night out from workin' hard all day."

"Hey, you deserve this just as much as me." Ironhead told her. "You work just as hard as me AJ. The farm wouldn't last a day without you."

"Aww..." She couldn't help but feel a little flattered. "Don't know 'bout that. Big Mac's a lot tougher than ya think."

"Yeah." Ironhead agreed. "Big Mac know's what he's doing, but there's just one thing..."

"Hmm?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

Ironhead shrugged. "Well...he's not you Applejack."

That response took her a bit by surprise. She opened her mouth to say something, but her companion had stopped. "Anyway, we're here." he said indicating the building before them.

"The Silver Leaf?" she asked him.

"Yeah. This places looks nice, and the food's good. Why?" Ironhead asked.

"Well I know this place." Applejack told him. "Me and my friends ate here lot's o' times b'fore."

"R-Really?" _Crap crap crap crap crap crap!_

"We sure do. S'nice place, the Silver Leaf. Y'all got good taste Ironhead."

_Oh thank Celestia. _"Y-yeah. Let's go get a seat."

Glad that things were OK so far, Ironhead led the way into the restaurant. They took their seats and browsed the menu. "OK Applejack, you're the expert here. What's the best thing they got?" Ironhead asked.

"Hmm...Oh, the Daffodil sandwiches 'ere are good. I get 'em all the time." she answered.

"Good enough for me. Hey waiter guy!" A pegasus waiter with a notebook Cutie-Mark approached them. "We'll get two Daffodil sandwiches."

"And throw in some Apple Family cider while yer at it." Applejack added.

The waiter took those orders and left the two alone. "You guys make cider?" Ironhead asked surprised.

"Shore do. Best cider in all o' Ponyville." Applejack said proud of her family's accomplishment. "Cider season starts in 'bout...a month or two from now. Helps us rustle up enough bits for when winter hits. We could always use and extra hoof or two."

"Yeah...You can count on me." Ironhead told her brimming with confidence. "Maybe I can get Scar to help out too. He's not gonna like it though 'cause he hates getting up early..."

The suggestion made the farm pony smile. "That's so like you sugar cube. Y'know, we need more than strong, tough ponies over at the farm. We need ponies that we can trust and depend on, ponies like you."

"Oh uh...eheh." Ironhead said blushing a little from what she said. "Thanks Applejack; that means a lot."

"Hey. I'm jus' sayin' what I'm seein'" Applejack said holding her hooves up.

Just then, the waiter arrived with their orders. "This does look good." Ironhead remarked holding up his sandwich. He then too a large bite out of it. "And it tastes good too."

"Glad ya like it." Applejack said starting to eat as well.

"Yeah, but I always liked daisies more."

"Eh, daisies're fine. If ya ask me, it's Sunflowers that really pack a lotta flavor."

After that, the two of them dissolved into casual chit-chat and story exchanging. Ironhead only asked about her and her life and tried his best to deflect any questions about his own while at the same time giving satisfactory answers. He didn't want to lie to her, especially on a night as special as the one they were having.

He loved this. Heck, they both were enjoying this moment. Chatting about each other and other seemingly trivial things, enjoying a nice meal, taking a sip of Apple Family brand cider every now and then, they almost forgot about anything else in their lives except for that moment.

After a what seemed like a long time, the chatter had died down a little. Ironhead had insisted he'd pay and did so without question. It was 10:35, and Granny wanted Applejack home by 11. They were just finishing up their cider so that they could leave.

As the mare stared into the amber liquid, a question began buzzing around in her head, a question she'd been meaning to ask, since the night began. Heck, she'd been meaning to ask it since he asked her out. Taking a sip of cider, she finally asked it.

"Ironhead, ya mind if I asked ya somethin'?" she said.

"Huh?" He put down his drink. "Sure AJ. What is it?"

She went straight to the point. "Is this a date?"

On the outside, Ironhead seemed perfectly calm thanks to his powers. On the inside however, he was screaming in panic. He played every possible response in his head and every possible response she would have. Having no idea which combination would happen drove him crazy.

_Just be honest with her._ a voice in the back of his head said. _Honest...Just like her._

Honesty...Applejack deserved some honesty after all the lies he'd been telling her. He didn't want to lie to her, not now, not ever. He knew it was for a good reason, but he was sick of lying to somepony so kind and honest with him. He wasn't like Ash nor Psych; he didn't and wouldn't let that thing within him define who he was.

It was then that he made a decision. As soon as this was all over, as soon as Ponyville was safe, he would tell her everything-who he was, his past, his family, all lies would be dispelled. He would be completely and openly honest with her and hoped that she would still accept him. And what better way to start than with her question?

"Y...You're right Applejack...This uh...is a date."

Both faces turned crimson. Applejack looked away as she wondered how to respond to that. "I-If you totally got the wrong idea, I'm sorry!" Ironhead exclaimed upon seeing this.

"No need to apologize Ironhead." Applejack explained turning back to him. "It's just well...I just don' know. This stuff's never happened to me b'fore."

That took him by surprise. "Seriously? You've never been asked out on a date before?"

She shook her head. "Most stallions 'round here all like Rarity. I even heard Rainbow's caught some boys' eyes too."

"Yeah, like my brother." Ironhead added with a chuckle. It seemed to calm both him and Applejack down a bit. "Y'know, forget about those guys. If they can't see how cool you are, then who cares about them? 'Cause there's one guy in this town that can see it. And that guys's...well...wondering if you two could still be friends even if you don't like him back..."

Silence followed after his little speech. Ironhead finished his cider completely hoping that it would be enough to the dull the pain of a rejection if it came. Applejack cleared her throat, and he braced himself.

"Sugar cube...I had a lotta fun tonight." she told him. Ironhead's insides clenched. "It's not the kind of fun I get with my friends or the kind I get with my fam'ly. It's...a new kind, an' well...I like it...An' I think I like you too Ironhead..."

His insides unclenched, but he continued to remain still. Ironhead looked at her face trying to see if she was kidding or not and ended up seeing a cute blush along with a shy smile. Slowly, an identical smile spread across his own face as his insides were screaming with triumph.

Applejack's smile however quickly vanished upon seeing the time. "Land sakes, we got 10 minutes ta get back to the farm!"

"Ah c'mon." Ironhead said with a casual wave of a hoof and still ecstatic about what just happened. "So you're not back by 11, what's the worse Granny can do?"

"Trust me; you don't wanna know." Applejack said warningly. "She looks real nice, but when it comes to us, may Celestia help ya."

Now Ironhead was slightly intimidated. "OK. I think know the fastest way back to the farm." There was a slight pause; maybe it was the cider talking or the joy he felt from her acceptance, but whichever it was, it made him say his next few words.

"Race ya there!"

He was gone in less than a second. Applejack stared at the spot he was at before turning in the direction he ran off to.

As Rarity would say: It was on.

* * *

She managed to catch up with him as they entered the road leading to the farm. Ironhead's stamina was a little more than her's, but she was much quicker than she was; she went right passed him, turned her head and gave him a subtle wink before sprinting the remaining distance to her home.

Shortly afterwards, Ironhead arrived slightly out of breath. Hearts hammering in their chest from the activity, they remained silent for a while as they caught their breaths. "Well...we're here." Ironhead said awkwardly.

"Y-yeah, an' not a minute past 11 either." Applejack said noting the time. Once again, an awkward silence enveloped the two.

"Uh hey, thanks for tonight Applejack. I had a really good time." Ironhead told her.

"Me too. Can't wait fer next time." Applejack replied. The idea of there being a next time lifted his spirits.

"Reall? Uh...I can't wait." Ironhead said beaming. "I'll make sure I take you someplace you haven't been yet."

Applejack smiled in happy anticipation. "It's a date then."

Ironhead smiled back at her. "So uh...I'll see you tomorrow I guess." he said with a shrug.

"Uh huh. Bright an' early like always." she said with a nod.

"Yeah. So uh, thanks again AJ, Good night."

"...G'night sugar cube..."

She suddenly leaned forward and gave him a small peck in his left cheek. The kiss lasted only for about a second, and it only felt as soft as a butterfly landing on him, but the contact was enough to send a massive jolt through the colt's body, widening his eyes, blanking his mind, reddening his face, and paralyzing his muscles. As Applejack pulled away, Ironhead tilted to the side and, with a loud thud, hit the ground stiff as a board. He would remain like that for about 15 minutes.

The sight made Applejack chuckle slightly. Still slightly red in the face, she turned and entered her home after wishing him good night once again.

_I guess bein' a goofball runs in the family..._


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15  
A SCHOLAR'S PURSUIT

While Ironhead spent that wonderful evening out with Applejack, the one his brother was having wasn't as great as his. Solstice sat alone in his father's study pouring through book after book, scroll after scroll, file after file in a desperate search to find a possible source of light.

He looked over his shoulder and saw the scales on his dad's desk. The white stone was still down meaning that the imbalance still persisted. He pondered on that remembering how panicked his dad was then they tipped. He had seen that look before on his dad. This was actually the fifth time Solstice saw the scales tip in his life.

The first time he saw the scales tip, it was during the evening of summer solstice of the previous year. The second time was during a period he would describe as completely and utter chaos. Chocolate suddenly rained from the sky, trees bent over due to the sudden increased weight of their fruit, some of his own spells didn't work, it was almost hell, a sugary, erratic hell. It stopped just as suddenly as it started, and they were all glad it did though Scar missed the cotton candy clouds.

The third and fourth times occurred during seemingly ordinary days. Though they were spaced out at different intervals, all four incidents had one thing in common: when the scales tipped, it was the black stone that had gone down. This was the first time he had ever seen the white stone lower.

During those four times, Solstice consulted his father about the imbalance. Despite his concerns, Equinox told him not to worry and that the problem would be solved without their intervention. True enough, the scales returned to normal in almost no time after they tipped over. He pondered on those times, wondering if there was any possible connection between those incidents and their current one.

Pausing slightly, he yawned and lifted his silver-rimmed glasses to rub his face. It was past midnight, and Equinox had already turned in for the night. Solstice however refused to rest until he came up with something, anything. Though his body ached and his eyes desired sleep, he would not waver.

But as he finished yet another book, his willpower began to waver. Sighing and running a hoof across his grey mane, he put the book aside and pulled another one close to him with his magic. His eyes drooping slightly, he magically turned its pages and scanned them for anything useful. As the pages went by, his head bowed lower and lower; this wouldn't be the first time he'd fall asleep in the middle of a study session.

But that all changed when he turned to certain page in the book he was browsing. He raised his head and adjusted his glasses which was become slightly askew before continuing to read. He consulted a chart and did a few mental calculations before continuing to read. He moved on to the next page and then the next one and then the next one getting less sleepy as the pages went by.

"This...this is it..." he muttered. "This must be it; I...I've found it..."

There was then a knock on the door followed by it swinging open. Blues stepped in sleepy as well. "Solstice," He paused to yawn for a bit. "Solstice, father sent me to get you. I understand your devotion and how passionate you are about your research, but even you have your limits. You need to-"

"I've found it..."

"Wh-what was that?" Blues asked rubbing his eye.

Solstice turned to his brother, a look of shock on his face. "I've found it Blues...A possible source of the light in Ponyville..."

Blues was stunned as well. "Are...are you sure?"

Solstice felt excited about his discovery. "It must be it; we must get this to father at once."

Carrying the book with him, he ran towards his brother, his horn glowing with teal magic. Once he was near, the teal magic aura enveloped them both as they teleported out of the room. They reappeared outside the door to their dad's room, and Solstice began knocking on it repeatedly.

"Father! Father! Please open up; this is urgent!" Solstice cried out hurriedly.

After a while, the door became surrounded by a silver magical aura and swung open. The two unicorns raced inside where their father sat on top of his bed.

"Solstice, Blues, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Equinox asked startled, sleepy and worried.

"Father, I believe I've discovered the source of the light in Ponyville's soil." Solstice said opening the book and flipping through it.

"Er...What?"

Equinox was a little startled when Solstice brought the open book up to the alicorn's face. Equinox saw on it five grey spheres arranged in a circle. Each sphere had a strange shape engraved on it. Equinox recognized those items very well; he had even studied them at some point.

"The Elements of Harmony!"

Equinox raised an eyebrow. The aura around the book changed from teal to silver as he took the book from his son. "I've done the calculations in my head. The amount of light the Elements of Harmony emits matches up with the amount of light building up in Ponyville's soil. No other possible source of light came close; this must be it father!"

An excited grin on his face, Solstice watched his dad go through the book waiting for his comment. He eventually closed it and cleared his throat. "Well Solstice, your theory does hold truth." he said. "However, there is one problem with it."

Solstice couldn't believe his ears. "What?! B-But-But-My calculations were sound! I even triple-checked them!"

Equinox held up a hoof in a placating gesture. "I'm sure they were son, but I assure you the problem is not within your calculations."

"Then what is it?" Solstice asked.

Equinox yawned a bit remembering just how late it was. "Well to put it simply, the Elements of Harmony are not kept in Ponyville. They are kept in Canterlot, protected 24/7 by guards and a vast array of protective spells. Their light could not possible reach Ponyville."

"Are you sure father?" Blues asked. "I mean, just when was the last time you were in Canterlot?"

The last time he was in Canterlot...

The last time he was in Canterlot...

Canterlot...

Equinox cleared his throat, took all the memories of his last time in Canterlot and shoved them back into the deepest recesses of his mind where belonged.. "That is irrelevant." he said earning raised eyebrows from the unicorn brothers. "Look, the point is unless Celes...the princess moved them to someplace else, they are still there."

"But father, this seems like the only possibility." Solstice argued. "They must be in Ponyville."

"Isn't there any connection between the Elements of Harmony and Ponyville?" Blues inquired.

"None that I know of. However..." Equinox seemed to trail off.

That intrigued Solstice. "Yes? What is it father?"

Equinox took a deep breath. "Well, I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but the scales have tipped before."

His eldest son nodded. "This is the fifth time since I was born."

"Indeed it is. Like our current situation, I managed to locate the sources of the imbalance."

"And what did you find?" Solstice asked leaning in.

"During the third instance, the imbalance was centered in Canterlot." the alicorn explained. "The fourth one centered somewhere far up north where the Crystal Empire once stood. The first and second one strangely... occurred in Ponyville. I'm sure you could remember the second time."

"Yes. I just loved how my saxophone wouldn't stop making farting noises." Blues muttered sarcastically.

Solstice ignored him. "Yes well...Two of the imbalances occurred in Ponyville. The Elements of Harmony must have been there at some point." he insisted.

"The incidents are unrelated to each other." Equinox replied. "Furthermore, even if the Elements were used in Ponyville; they would surely be returned to Canterlot before any long-term effects would take place. T-The princess would make sure of that."

"How can you be so certain father? You and Princess Celestia have never met." Blues said.

Equinox was immensely grateful that Psych wasn't in the room; he'd have seen right through him. "She is a good...and wise leader, somepony fit to rule Equestria. She had used the Elements of Harmony before you were even born, so I believe she has the sense to return them where they belong."

"But...but..."

Solstice wanted to protest, but the rest of his words came out as a yawn. He then felt a hoof on his shoulder and saw his dad in front of him. "You've done well tonight my son, but you've also done enough." he said. "Please get some rest; you can continue in the morning."

Solstice refused to stop now when he had such a huge lead, but he heaviness of his body and the sleepiness in his eyes made him agree with his dad. Bidding his dad and brother good night, he teleported directly onto his bed where he slumped over feeling defeated.

He was sure it was the Elements; it couldn't be anything else. He knew that he was so close to the truth and saving Ponyville. He had never been to Canterlot, so there was still a possibility that the Elements weren't there anymore. That possibility still existed and could in fact be the truth.

And if his dad wouldn't pursue it, he would.

* * *

The next day...

Ironhead was already up and getting ready for work at the farm, where Applejack was. He was so glad that last night went splendidly despite how tense he was almost the whole time. Now, he was going to Sweet Apple Acres to confront Applejack once again.

Now he was tense on what to say to her now. Were they officially a couple now? Can he call her his marefriend? He he give her a kiss when he sees her (yes, the memory and sensation of the kiss was still fresh in his mind). How would the rest of the family react when they find out about this?

His thoughts were interrupted by several knocks on the door. Ironhead looked over at it in confusion; they didn't know that many ponies in town, so who could possibly be knocking so early in the morning?

"Nghh...make it stop..." Scar groaned as the knocking woke him up. "Who the hell wants to talk to us this early?"

The knocking continued. Scar groaned once more and covered his ear with his pillow. Meanwhile, Ironhead grumbled and approached the door wondering who would be there. He opened the door ready to confront who it was.

"Hey, whoever you are, this better be-Solstice?!"

Hearing that surprised Scar. He jumped out of his bed and checked out the pony in the doorway. True enough, his eldest brother was there raising and eyebrow as he saw him.

"Ah Scar, Ironhead, good morning." Solstice greeted cheerfully.

"Uh...yeah. Hey bro." Ironhead said as Scar approached the two of them. "Lemme guess, you teleported all the way here?"

"Indeed I have." Solstice said rather proud of his feat. "Long-range teleportation is quite easy for me. Anyway, I see that you two are doing fine on your own. How is the job at the farm Ironhead?"

"Pretty good actually; I was just gonna leave." Ironhead said shrugging.

Solstice smiled and stretched a little. "Ah, it feels so good to be out. I can't remember the last time I went out like this." he said happily.

"Uh, yeah." Scar said rubbing the back of his head. "Look Solstice, not that it's nice to see you, but what're you doing here?"

"Ah yes; I suppose we shall have time to catch up afterwards." Solstice straightened himself up. "As for why I am here. I believe to have found the source of the light in Ponyville."

Immediately, his two brothers were wide awake. "S...seriously?"

"Why of course. I would never joke about something as serious as this." the unicorn answered.

"Did you tell dad about this?" Ironhead asked.

Solstice looked away for a moment, the memories of the previous night crossing his mind. "I told him, and, after a lengthy discussion, he said that my theory is wrong."

"Then why're you here? I thought you'd be stuck home looking for another theory." Scar asked puzzled by his brother's actions.

"Because despite father's words, I believe my theory is correct." Solstice insisted adjusting his glasses a bit. "I am a pony of action; I do not let mere words, not even father's, discredit what I believe is correct. If they are indeed wrong, then I would like to see it for myself through my own personal research. I will not let go of my theory unless I find definitive proof of its falsehood myself. I would greatly appreciate your support."

Ironhead and Scar looked at each other before giving their opinion. They both knew just how passionate Solstice got when it came to research. They knew he really wouldn't rest until he had all the answers. If their dad had dismissed his theory, then it had to be wrong, but as his brothers, they had to trust him.

"Alright. Whadd'ya need bro?" Ironhead asked turning to the teal green unicorn.

"I'm glad you asked. Is there anypony here in Ponyville that I can consult with on the matter?" he asked.

"Well...There's Twilight Sparkle. I heard she's the smartest pony in town. Plus, she lives in a tree/library; she's gotta know something." Scar told him.

"Have you consulted earlier during you search?" Solstice asked wanting more info.

"Yeah, but she said she didn't have anything in her library about light." Scar replied. "You can still ask her if you want."

"Then ask her I shall." Solstice said. "You know my signal should I need any assistance yes?"

"Yeah yeah; we know." Ironhead rolled his eyes. "You just stick to what you gotta do. I hope you get your answers."

"As do I Ironhead. As do I." Solstice sighed and shook his head. "Very well. I shall be off."

"Yeah. Ironhead here's got work to do, and I uh...I'm going out." Scar said earning furrowed eyebrows from his earth pony brother. This went unnoticed by Solstice who just smiled at his brothers.

He nodded at his brothers before turning and leaving the apartment. The sun was just coming up signalling the start of another day, a day he would find the answers to his questions. Knowing that he had his brothers' support, he trudged on looking for a tree/library; it shouldn't be that difficult to find. Ready to get some answers, he smiled. It was time to meet Ms. Twilight Sparkle.


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16  
CRISIS IN PONYVILLE

Several weeks earlier...

The library was dark and peaceful, silent except for the deep breathing of a unicorn and the slightly louder snores of her dragon assistant. The two of them slept peacefully and dreamily, Twilight about Celestia awarding her for her discovery of a new star cluster and Spike about what else but gems and his favorite mare.

As they spend their happy moments in dream land, the window bellow in the main library slowly slid open without waking up the library's residents. Twilight however grunted and turned in her bed as a set of hooves landed on the library's floor.

"OK; coast is clear." a hushed voice said.

A second set of hooves hit the library floor. "Where are they?" a second hushed voice asked.

"Over there; we just need one of them."

Just as Celestia was about to award her with the keys to her own personal wing of the Canterlot Library, the sound of glass breaking woke Twilight up. She was still sleepy when she did so and thought the breaking glass was just part of the dream she was having.

"You idiot! You could've woken them up!"

The hushed shout caused Twilight to bolt up on her bed now completely wide awake. Pausing for a while, she heard the two intruders continue to argue about the noise they made. Gingerly, she got out of her bed and slowly peeked into the library bellow.

"Wh...who's there?"

"Ah dammit!"

There was a sudden, great flash that momentarily blinded Twilight followed by the sound of something hitting the floor. Blinking the spots out of her eyes, Twilight looked over at the library again and saw that it was empty. The only thing out of place were a few shards of broken glass and something golden glittering on the floor.

Illuminating the room with light from her horn, Twilight raced downstairs where her worst fears were confirmed. As Spike turned and finally woke up, she gently picked up the object on the floor, a golden necklace with a jeweled apple on it. She quickly turned to the display case whose glass was shattered and counted six items.

"T-Twilight? What's going on?" Spike asked peeking down at her. She turned to him, giving him a look of panic.

"Spike...Somepony tried to steal the Elements!"

* * *

Present day...

"Ok...you can do this. You can do this. You can do this!" Ironhead said as he neared Sweet Apple Acres. He had been travelling for several minutes and was still a little nervous about confronting Applejack.

As he crossed the streets of Ponyville wondering what to do, he passed by several ponies stopping in their tracks, looking at something. Ironhead, busy with his own problems, failed to notice them until he bumped into a blue, stationary earth pony stallion muttering something to his companion.

"Hey, why're you-"

It was only then did he finally see what everypony was staring at.

Black smoke bellowed from someplace in the distance into the sky above. Ironhead joined the others ponies while a group of pegasi flew above them. The smoke was too far away from the town to affect it, but judging by its location, there was only one possible place it could be coming from-Sweet Apple Acres.

_G...Granny...Big Mac...Applebloom..._

"APPLEJACK!"

Several ponies jumped to the side as Ironhead shouted, and several more did so as he galloped past them. His earlier problems suddenly vanishing, he yelled at a few ponies ahead of him to get out of his way. He ran faster than he had ever done in his life towards the farm before it was too late.

As he reached the road heading to the farm, Ironhead started begging in his head to Celestia, heck, to both princesses, that the Apple family would be unhurt. The fear only seemed to give him more energy, allowing him to speed up and reach the barn.

To his relief, the barn was untouched. The fire seemed to be taking place in one of the fields. None of the Apples were in sight.

"Ironhead!" a voice from the barn called out. The colt galloped towards it just as the door opened revealing a shaken Applebloom and Granny Smith.

"Applebloom! Granny!" Ironhead cried out glad to see them unhurt. His relief turned to dread as the other Apple siblings failed to make an appearance. "Where're-"

"Tryin' ta put out the fire." Applebloom answered already knowing what he would ask.

He nodded shakily. "OK. Stay here Applebloom; I'm gonna go help them."

He left them and started searching around for a bucket or something to carry water. "Ironhead!" came another familiar voice. He turn and saw, to his great relief, Applejack covered in soot and sweat. He ran over to her as she filled up the bucket from a nearby well.

"We gotta stop the fire from spreadin'." she told him hurriedly.

Just then, two groups of pegasi flew towards the fire, each group with a rain cloud. "That's not enough. Shouldn't there be more of those guys?" he asked as he watched.

"They're busy with somethin' else. C'mon, we gotta fire ta stop!" Carrying the bucket in her mouth, she made a beeline for the flames.

"Applejack, wait!" She stopped, allowing him to catch up. "The trees that're on fire...you can't grow anything on them right?"

She shook her head in response. Now Ironhead knew what to do; to hell with laying low. The farm needed him; the farm needed his powers. To AJ's surprise, he gave a loud cry and charged towards the fire carrying nothing at all. Applejack went after him worried that he might hurt himself or something.

Eventually, he found several trees on fire. The smoke made his eyes water, and the heat drove him back a bit. The wind wasn't in their favor either as it fanned the flames, making them spread faster.

Big Mac was there tossing a bucket of water on one of them which made the flames die down a bit. Another got doused with the rain clouds the pegasi were carrying, and the flame was put out almost instantly. As they flew away to get more, Ironhead eyed a burning tree that was threatening to set the one in front of it on fire. Not on his watch.

Applejack arrived just in time to see Ironhead gallop at full speed towards the burning tree. She panicked as she saw him approached it, afraid that he'd get hurt. Once he was close enough, Ironhead jumped, allowing his momentum to bring him forward.

His shoulder collided with the tree with full force. This was followed by a ripping sound still audible over the crackling of the flames. The tree tilted over and completely fell away leaving the tree it was threatening untouched. The sight made Big Mac's jaw drop; the same happened to Applejack, the bucket hitting the ground without spilling its contents. With several more trees to go, Ironhead galloped to another burning tree and gave it a good buck, knocking it over and stopping it from spreading the fire.

Applejack could only watch with awe as he knocked over tree after tree. It was only then that he realized the intensity of his strength. It was just too unnatural; no pony, not even the strongest pony in Manehatten, could possibly uproot entire trees with just a single buck.

She began to wonder just who the pony she trusted completely really was.

* * *

Once Ironhead left, Scar started flying around looking for Rainbow. She probably had work to do, but he wouldn't mind helping her out with it if it meant giving them some time together. Maybe they could go hang out together. Or maybe eat someplace again. Or maybe practice their moves. Or maybe have a race. Or maybe...have her help him fulfill his life-long dream.

"A whole day with Rainbow...This...is...AWESOME!" he cried out excitedly pumping his hooves into the air. "This is the best thing ever; nothing can ruin this day!"

Something large suddenly collided with him mid-air. Scar tumbled around several times before finally stabilizing himself. Rubbing his head, he saw a blonde maned grey pegasus rubbing her head as well. She opened her eyes revealing one of them to be looking at a different spot as the other.

"Sorry!" she yelled out before flying off. As Scar watched her, several more pegasi flew past him. Wondering what was going on, he scanned the horizon eventually finding a large amount of smoke billowing into the sky.

"Scar!"

Said pony turned around and saw Rainbow fly towards him looking stressed out. "We need your help."

"What do you need?" Scar asked without hesitation. Rainbow flew off in the direction the other pegasi flew with Scar following her. "Is this about the fire?"

"No; I already got a team dealing with that. We need help for something else." the mare said putting up a burst of stopped which Scar matched. He opened his mouth to ask what it was, but they stopped flying as the answer showed up in front of them.

It was a large cloud around thrice the size of an average pony. Unlike the other clouds in the sky, this one was very dark grey. Several pegasi flew around it and tried pushing it in one direction before suddenly breaking away as if they just felt a powerful electric shock. True enough, a bolt of lightning suddenly shot out of the cloud and almost hit a group of pegasi that tried to approach it.

Another bolt shot out in their direction. Scar and Rainbow flew sideways to avoid it. They circled around the cloud watching it crackle and shot out more lighting. "Why the hell did you guys make this?!" Scar asked out loud.

"We didn't make this!" Rainbow cried out as more pegasi tried pushing the cloud. "This thing formed in the Everfree Forest! The wind must've blown it into town!"

"Can't we just keep hitting that thing until it goes away?!"

"It's hard OK?!"Rainbow answered back. "It's shooting lightning for crying out loud! Plus, we gotta get it out before it gets to town; it already started a fire at Sweet Apple Acres a few minutes ago!"

Hearing that news, Scar feared for his brother's safety. He tried putting it out f his mind; Ironhead was tough. A fire wouldn't stop him from doing what he can at the farm. He focused on the task at hand-getting the storm cloud out before it could harm anything else.

Together, he and Rainbow flew in and managed to get their hooves on the cloud. They could feel the electricity crackling at the surface, making their hooves tingle slightly. They beat their wings and started pushing the cloud towards the Everfree Forest.

The electricity on the surface suddenly increased causing them to withdraw their hooves. Sensing a bolt about to fire, they dove backwards; Scar managed to avoid it, but Rainbow wasn't as lucky. The bolt shot out and singed the tip of her left wing causing her to lose control and plummet to the ground.

Scar's heart seemed to plummet as well. "RAINBOW!" The red-maned goof ball dove after his rainbow-maned crush before she could hit the ground.

But there was really no need. Rainbow managed to regain her bearings and flew upwards at the cloud. Recovering from his shock, Scar caught up with her.

"What? You though that'd be enough to take me out?" she asked him. The tip of her wing was only slightly burnt but was otherwise alright.

Scar couldn't talk for a while. "I...I was so scared..." he admitted.

Hearing his tone made Rainbow think for a moment, but thinking would have to wait. There was storm cloud threatening Ponyville above them that needed getting rid off. Putting her thoughts aside, Rainbow charged in with Scar and several other pegasi, ready to keep at it.

* * *

As Solstice left to find the library, another pony set off from her home with her own mission in mind. After feeding her animals her breakfast and finishing her own, Fluttershy nervously set off towards the Everfree Forrest filled with timber wolves, hydras, manticores...

_No; I can't back down now_...She gulped as she entered the woods. Her eyes darting around in case anything sneaked up on her, she made her way to the clearing where she and Ash first met. It was empty when she arrived, so she just sat down and waited for him to arrive.

This seemed almost pointless. She wasn't even sure if Ash would show up that morning or that day for that matter. She tried checking the clearing during the previous day, but Ash was nowhere to be found. She briefly thought about venturing deeper into the forest, but her own fears kept her from going beyond the clearing.

Rarity told her to be careful and to tell somepony if Ash tried to hurt her again, but Fluttershy really thought that she could get through to him despite his attitude. Beyond the anger and the threats he displayed, Ash did indeed look like he was in pain.

After several minutes, nopony else entered the clearing. Just as she thought that this would be another wasted day, a dark shape appeared in the sky. A few seconds later, the shape revealed itself to be a dark pegasus stallion. Ash touched down in the clearing, folded his wings and made his way to a bush, his eyes downcast. He didn't seem to have noticed her.

"Um...hello Ash."

Startled, Ash looked up only realizing then that he had company. While he looked at her with surprise, Fluttershy thought on what to say or do next, but nothing came to mind. She spent so much time waiting for him to show up, and now that he was there, she didn't know that to say to him at all.

"What do you want?" Ash asked wanting some solitude.

"I um...W-well...You see...I...How do I put this...?" she stuttered.

"Spit it out!"

She saw it again, the hesitation and panic in his eyes. They told her that Ash didn't seem to be angry at her. He seemed to almost regret his outburst.

"I just...want to talk." she told him slowly.

"Talk? What's there to talk about?" Ash replied. "Anything I say...it'll hurt you."

He turned away and yanked a leaf out of the bush with his teeth. "Do you really want that? Do you really want to hurt me?" she asked.

Ash growled and turned to her. His eyes turned scarlet, surprising her a bit. He looked her in the eye wanting to say it to her face, but as he opened his mouth, all that came out was a chocking sound. He growled and tried to get a spiteful yes out, but it didn't come.

_Say it! Say it to her face!_ he thought as he struggled to get the word out.

As he did, Fluttershy noticed the mental struggle in his eyes. Ash couldn't even get a straight yes out, so maybe he didn't want to hurt her at all. Ash finally sighed and bowed his head in defeat, the leaf in his moth fluttering away in the wind.

"You don't want to hurt me do you?" Fluttershy dared to ask. All she got was his silence. She took a tentative step forward. "It's OK to admit it. It's really nothing to be ashamed of."

"This isn't about shame." Ash told her. "I'm...the most evil pony in the world. I...I live to make others suffer...It's...It's what I am..."

"But...but you always look so hurt when you say or do mean things?" Fluttershy pointed out. "If you're as mean as you say you are, why do you always look so hurt?"

Ash's eyes widened as he took a step back. "Sh-shut up!" he roared. "Don't say those things...You know nothing about me!"

She flinched at the shout and backed away a little. "You're right. I still don't know you, and I still don't get why you have to act so mean all the time and why you always look scared when you are." The colt turned away but saw her approach out of the corner of his eye.. "But...if you just let me...know you a little more...maybe...I can help you stop being so miserable all the time..."

The offer made Ash turn back to her. With cyan eyes filled with kindness he didn't believe he deserved, she shyly approached.

"Ash...If you don't mind that is...would you like me to be your friend...?"

The colt was stunned.

_F...Friend...?_

* * *

"I must say Twilight, had I not checked twice, I probably wouldn't have believed it myself."

"Really? Well, I have to agree that it's something you don't see everyday. Would you like a cookie Rarity?"

"I'd love one."

"H-Here you go my sweet."

"Why thank you Spike."

That same morning, Rarity paid a visit to the library. She would always do so whenever she had a fresh piece of gossip that was just too juicy to keep to herself. While Twilight never really enjoyed such things, it was nice to have her around and have her stay for a cup of tea. Spike surely didn't mind.

"I mean honestly. There I was picking up some fabric when I see who else but Applejack going to a restaurant _with a colt_!" Rarity told her. "It was all I could do to not check in on them."

"You mean spying?" Twilight raised an eyebrow.

Rarity looked flustered. "Heaven's no! I would never...let them know I was watching them." she said. She didn't say she _wasn't_ going to spy on them.

"If you really want to know what happened, you'll just have to wait for AJ to tell you about it." Twilight said taking a sip of her tea.

Her companion sighed and took a sip as well. "It seems like Applejack has found her special somepony before either of us have."

"They've only been on one date Rarity. I think it's too early for something like that." Twilight said.

"Oh but still." Rarity sighed once more. "It's been so long since my last relationship..."

"Well, you said they looked happy with each other. That's good enough for us." Twilight told her. "Well, I hope they're happy. I don't really know anything about these sort of things aside from the things I read about."

"Never? Not even just a teeny crush?"

Twilight shook her head. "Not really. It was all study study study for me back in Canterlot. I've never really noticed nor been noticed by other colts before."

That earned a surprised look from Rarity. "Really now Twilight? Well, Ponyville is so much different from Canterlot. Perhaps your special somepony is somewhere here."

Just then, there was a knock upon the door. Twilight stood up to get it. "Here in Ponyville? Rarity, while there are plenty of nice colts here in town, none of them really caught my-"

She opened the door.

"A...uh...attention..."

_Wow...he's...cute..._


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17  
THE SCHOLAR AND THE LIBRARIAN

"Good morning. Ms. Twilight Sparkle I presume?" Solstice said smiling warmly at her.

"Why...why yes. That's me." the mare got out feeling more nervous than she had ever been before. This had never happened before. "I...er...well...I mean...Are you new here? Because...I don't think I've seen you before..."

"Ah yes; I just arrived here in Ponyville today actually." He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, please forgive me. Where are my manners?" He chuckled, stepped back and bowed. "A pleasure to meet you Ms. Sparkle. I am Solstice, a humble scholar seeking answers."

Twilight heard stifled laughter from within her home. "It's nice to meet you too Solstice. W-Would you like to come inside?"

"I'd love to."

Twilight backed up and allowed Solstice to enter the library. As he did, he craned his neck upwards, taking in the various tomes and volumes around him. Twilight watched as his eyes sparkled in amazement as he took the sight of so many books."I must say, this is quite the collection Ms. Sparkle. Did you collect all of these yourself?" he asked.

"Oh no. All these books were here when I got here." Twilight explained as he looked in wonder at the library. "I-If you really like libraries, you should really see one in Canterlot."

"The Canterlot Library? Oh, you've no idea how long I've dreamed to pay it a visit." Solstice admitted. "Five stories of age-old knowledge perfectly preserved for generations." He gave out a dreamy sigh. "If you've been there, I'd love to hear all about it."

That brought a smile on her face and sent her thoughts a whirl. _Wow...He likes books...like me...He likes libraries...like me!_

More stifled laughter brought her back to reality. Twilight turned around seeing Rarity and Spike apparently enjoying what they were seeing. Her cheeks flushed, she realized that she forgot they were there.

"Friends of your I take it?" Solstice asked.

"Y-yeah." She cleared her throat. "This is my friend Rarity and my assistant Spike. Guys, I'd you both to meet Solstice."

"A pleasure to meet you two." Solstice bowed once more. Twilight thought she saw her unicorn friend's eyes flutter. Solstice turned back to the librarian. "Forgive me. I had no idea you had a prior engagement. Perhaps I could return at a more appropriate-"

"Oh no; It's quite all right actually. I was just about to leave." Rarity said surprising her unicorn friend. "Twilight, do you mind if I borrowed Spike for a moment? I've run out of gems, and I'd love his help in finding some more."

"R-Really?" Spike asked excited to spend some time with her. "Can I Twilight? Please?" he begged.

"But-But Rarity-" Twilight began but never finished due to Rarity placing hoof on her shoulder.

"Solstice, do you mind giving us a moment?"

The colt nodded, and Rarity pulled her friend aside and spoke in a hushed, hurried manner. "Twilight, listen to me and listen well. A young, handsome gentlecolt with whom you share quite a few interests is taking interest in you. You. Do. Not. Pass. Up. This. Opportunity." She punctuated each work with a light tap to Twilight's chest.

"Wh-what?"

Rarity just smiled slyly at her and made her way to the door. "A pleasure to have met you Solstice. Come now Spike, I won't be able to find those gems without you."

Twilight just watched her leave the library along with her love-struck assistant. Solstice turned to her and smiled. "Why they seem like lovely friends of yours." he commented.

"Oh...Yes. If you're staying here in town, I'd love to introduce my other friends." she said nervous now that they were all alone.

Solstice chuckled and adjusted his glasses a bit. "That would be lovely, but my stay won't be for long. In fact, I came here looking for you Ms. Sparkle."

Twilight felt her cheeks flush once again at that. "Y-You know, you could just call me Twilight. I mean, you don't look that much younger than me."

"Very well then Twilight." Solstice continued. "I'm in the middle of some research, and while testing a theory of mine, it was recommended that I consult you."

Solstice smiled, liking the way he was wording out his goals without giving up too much information. He wasn't anything like Ironhead and his ability to lie easily and make thing up on the spot; no, he knew how to work words well.

"Wow...I...don't know what to say." Twilight said. "W-would you like to discuss this over some tea?"

"That sounds lovely."

Solstice sat down while Twilight poured him some tea, noticing the amethysts that were her eyes sparkled like her name suggested. He watched her silky mane flow as she turned to pour herself some tea and smiled. She sat down and took a sip as well.

"So this research you're doing, is it really something I can help you with?" Twilight asked.

"Well, you certainly have the resources." Solstice looked around the library, stopping only when he saw a particular shelf. "Are those books authored by Star Swirl the Bearded himself?"

"Why yes they are." Twilight said. "I have a few copies of them back in my old home in Canterlot. I remember my parents getting me the Beginner, Intermediate and Advance Guides to Spellcasting. It took me about a month to go through each of-"

At that moment, Solstice gave out a yawn and scratched his eye. "Oh, forgive my rudeness." he said quickly before Twilight could think he was getting bored. "I was up all night doing my research."

Twilight sighed in relief. "Trust me; I've been there." She raised her cup. "You have no idea how many times Spike tries to tell me to sleep in the middle of an all-night study session. Rarity even tells me it's horrible for my skin, that I'll get wrinkles or something."

"My father reprimands me for doing that all the time."

"It's bothersome right? I mean, you're not supposed to sleep during one."

"That is the point of an all-night study session."

"Exactly. I know he's worried about my health and Rarity my looks, but look at me. I'm fine."

"Indeed you are. You look absolutely lovely today Twilight." Solstice raised his cup as well. She slowly took a sip feeling a bit like Fluttershy at the moment. "Anyway, I too have the Beginner, Intermediate and Advance Guides to Spellcasting. It took me much longer than you did to go through them completely." Solstice admitted. "Right after learning a spell, I'd try to perform it right away with sometimes catastrophic results. When I was young, I accidentally mixed up a color-changing spell with a multiplication spell. The frog I was attempting to turn orange suddenly turned into a thousand frogs; it took my family an entire week to clean them out."

"That's hilarious." Twilight said smiling and reminiscing about her younger days. "You know Spike? I once tried a spell to put him in a tux, but I accidentally put him in a dress! And it just so happened that Rarity came by at the exact moment!"

He chuckled at the memories and made her chuckle as well. This was tuning out better than he had expected. He stopped laughing however upon seeing a particular book on the shelf. "May I?" he asked pointing at it.

"Go ahead Solstice." The latter thanked her and levitated the book over to him. It was On the Natural Balance 1st Edition written by his father. "That's a pretty old book. It was written way before I was born."

"It's outdated." Solstice told her.

"I...I'm sorry. What?" she asked.

He thought about it for a moment. "Could you please excuse me for a few seconds?"

Twilight nodded and saw his horn glow with a teal aura. A second later, he was gone in a flash of teal light. About ten seconds later, he reappeared levitating a book from the library back at his home. He passed it over to Twilight.

"I'm sure this will make a wonderful addition to your library." he said.

Twilight looked at the cover and couldn't believe her eyes. "On the Natural Balance...5th Edition?!" she said excitedly. Solstice noted how adorable she looked. Indeed, as her eyes turned up to him wide with wonder, he felt his heart strings tug a bit. "Solstice, I appreciate the thought, but this is your book right? I can't just take it."

"Oh no need to worry." His horn glowed once more, enveloping the book once again in a teal aura. He concentrated his magic, and another flash later, the book landed in Twilight's hooves. However, Solstice was levitating a second, identical book with his magic.

"Was that a replication spell?" she asked him.

"I thought a unicorn as talented as yourself would recognize it." Solstice answered. "Yes indeed it is. There should be a small coffee stain on the upper left corner of page 72 if I'm not mistaken."

Twilight opened the book, and true enough, there it was, a small, dark brown spot on the upper right corner of page 72." Wow." was all she could say. "Thank you."

"Oh it's nothing honestly. While learning magic, you could say I had a little help." Solstice said placing a hoof on his chest.

Twilight glanced a the book and looked at him. "Looks like another all-night study session for me."

Solstice laughed at her little joke. "Unless you fall asleep in the middle of it that is. Believe me, it's happened to me one or two times."

Twilight chuckled a little, a sound which Solstice found adorable. Gazed into his teacup for a while before looking up at her. "Twilight...You know, I came to this library hoping to find more evidence to prove my theory correct. Instead, well, I've found something even better-a charming young mare."

Twilight lost count of how many times she blushed since they first met. "Y-y-you think I'm...charming...?" she asked wondering if she heard him right.

He nodded and smiled. "Twilight, I've had a delightful time since I came in here, and it's been such a delight spending time with you."

"I...I had fun too Solstice." Twilight old him. "To be honest, it's usually just me, my friends and my studies. I've never really...spent this much time alone with a guy before."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. "It's such a shame that others can't see how lovely you truly are." Twilight looked away and blushed once again. "It pains me to say that my time here is only temporary, but once I am finished, perhaps I could return to Ponyville and get to know you more. Say perhaps, over coffee?"

The offer seemed like a good one. Slightly dazed, Twilight was already considering having Spike push back her perfectly made schedule for the rest of the month just for that one time. "That...that sound nice." she said. "I can't wait."

Solstice smiled and took another sip. "Wonderful. Now, back to my research."

"Oh, of course. Almost forgot there." Twilight admitted. "So what is it you're looking into?"

There was a slight pause. "The Elements of Harmony."

Twilight was about to take a sip, but she put her cup down upon hearing what he said. "Th-the Elements of Harmony? Wh-what exactly do you need?"

"Well for starters, I'd like to know where they are." Solstice set his cup down, but as he looked back up, he noticed a change in Twilight's expression. She now seemed worried about something. "Is something the matter Twilight?"

"N-no; it's just...what do you want with the Elements?" she asked him, her mind flashing back to all those weeks ago.

"I require them for my research. Have you any idea where they are?" he asked confused by the sudden change in atmosphere.

Twilight paused an looked away. "They're...they're not here in Ponyville. I don't know where they are."

"I have reason to believe that they are indeed here." Solstice said noticing her hesitation. "You are a passionate researcher are you not? As am I; I will not let this go unless my theory is either proven right or wrong. Allow me to ask again; where are the Elements of Harmony?"

Twilight remained silent, a small layer of sweat on her forehead. "Twilight," Solstice continued. "Unless you tell me the location of the Elements, well...let's just say something...unfortunate could happen to you, your friends, and Ponyville in general."

The librarian could believe it; was that a threat?! "Please just answer me Twilight; where are the Elements of Harmony?" Solstice asked once again.

His face was calm, but Twilight's showed tension. Ever since that incident, she had taken extra precautions about the Elements and would alway feel anxiety when the subject of their protection was brought up. Could he be in league with whoever tried to steal the Elements all those weeks ago? He seemed like a nice guy, but what did he want with the Elements?

It all came down to choosing between the elements or her friends. How would they feel if they found out she gave up the Elements? They were practically powerless without the Elements. She remembered how much they tried to get them back when they went missing once.

But either way, something bad was going to happen to Ponyville. She remembered what the six of them were able to accomplish. They defeated Nightmare Moon. They defeated Discord. As long as they had the Elements-no. As long as they had each other, nothing would happen, not on their watch.

"I'm...not telling you." she finally told the colt.

Solstice gazed at her seriousness for a moment and nodded. "I see...So that is your decision..." He sighed; there was only one way to get the information now. "I have a brother Twilight, and he created, well, 'titles' he 'bestowed' upon me and the rest of our family. Do you know what I am known as?"

Before Twilight could answer, a sphere of teal light appeared at the tip of his horn and grew to the size of a soccer ball With a jerk of his head, the sphere was launched; it hit the window, phased right through it and went skywards. Several feet above the library, it suddenly exploded giving out a loud boom, a bright, teal flash and showing off several arcs of teal magical energy.

Twilight felt the explosion from within the library. She looked over at Solstice. He had a twinkle in his blue green eyes and a playful smile upon his lips.

"I am the Magic of Discord."


	18. Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18  
CALLING ALL BROTHERS

A teal, soccer ball-sized sphere exploding and sending out three arcs of magic, Solstice was rather proud of his signal. As flashy as it was, it was also very effective; the whole thing turned made the entire town momentarily turn away from the two disasters that were currently ongoing. New mutterings spread out as the citizens of Ponyville questioned what was going to happen next.

"What the hay?"

Before Applejack could try to figure out what just happened, a brown blur sped past her in the direction of the explosion. Ironhead didn't even look at her when he passed. She couldn't understand why; the fire was still raging, and the rest of the fields were still in danger. Was he really going to abandon them?

"Ironhead!" she cried out chasing after him. "Ironhead, what's gotten into ya?!"

Her shout made him dig his hooves into the soil. He screeched to a halt and turned back to her noticing the raging inferno behind her. He looked back to the spot where his brother sent up his signal and then back to her, his mind trying to put it all together.

He was torn. His brother needed him, but he couldn't abandon Applejack when she needed him. Panicking, he turned from her to the arcs and then back to her and then back to the arcs. He couldn't decide; what was more important-her or his family?

"We can't do this without ya Ironhead." Applejack told him. "What's happenin' here? What's with the fancy light show?"

Ironhead hesitated. "It...My brother..." he stammered.

"What? How the hay can Scar make that?" Applejack questioned.

"M...My...My other brother..."

Now Applejack was confused; he had another brother? She thought it was just him, his parents, Ironheart and Scar. What was this about another brother in Ponyville? Wait, those weren't important at the moment. She shook her head and focused on what she knew and what was going on.

"Ironhead...we can't do this without ya." He knew she was right, but he couldn't abandon his brother if he needed him. Being torn between her and his family caused him to stammer and turned from her to the arcs once again until he finally gave a loud cry and rushed back to the burning trees.

Applejack watched once again as he bucked tree after tree once again surprising her by his strength. The thought of an unknown brother made her feel uneasy. Why would he hide that fact? Could there be more secrets that he hadn't told her? Was there still something about him that he hadn't told her.

Ironhead had just uprooted another burning tree with a single buck when he saw Applejack confused and wanting to know the truth. He sighed and shook his head realizing that the jig was up; he could no longer hide things from her. "Applejack...I think it's time you knew..."

For a while, they just stared at each other while the flames raged on. "Wh...who are you...?" Applejack asked.

The liar sighed once more and turned around to face the burning tree before him. It was one of the bigger, older trees that were present in the field He stood on his hind legs, grabbed the sides of the tree and pulled. Applejack watched in awe as his muscles rippled, the sound of ripping filling the air.

"I'm Ironhead...the Strength of Deceit!"

With a mighty tug, the tree was completely uprooted from the ground. Ironhead pulled back and flung the tree sideways. It crashed into several other burning trees and knocked them down, bringing them away from the rest of the apple field.

Applejack, Big Mac and the pegasus group that was putting the flames out all had their jaws hanging. Ignoring them, Ironhead dashed over and knocked the few remaining trees down. Smoke billowing in the distance and the rest of the apple crop safe, Ironhead turned and ran right out of there passing by Applejack and not making eye contact.

She slowly turned and watched him gallop into the distance, her mind trying to put this all together and trying to figure out what he meant.

The Strength of Deceit...

"...Ironhead...?"

* * *

The minute he saw it, Scar's instincts kicked in. He, as well as whole family, knew about Solstice's signal and what it meant. Without thinking, he turned away from whatever he was doing and flew as fast he could towards the source of the signal stopping only when his rainbow-maned crush suddenly appeared in front of him.

"What the hay Scar; where're you going?" she asked him.

He opened his mouth to answer but Rainbow suddenly yelled: "Look out!" Scar and Rainbow dove to the side just as a bolt of lightning went off in their direction. The scarlet pegasus looked back at the storm cloud as if he just remembered why he was there in the first place.

As another group of pegasi flew in and attempted to pushed the storm cloud away, Scar realized that he couldn't just abandon her now when she needed him. He made a promise to her, a rather silly one yes but a promise nonetheless. He wanted to keep it, but Solstice needed him. What should he do?

A sudden crack and flash snapped him out of his thoughts. It was hard to think when there was something trying to kill them with lightning every few seconds. "You can't leave; we need everypony we can get working on this." she told him.

"Rainbow I-" He didn't know what to say nor what to do for that matter. "I...I have to...No I...You see..."

Before he could fully explain himself, another bolt interrupted him, forcing him and Rainbow to dodge again. Annoyed by the cloud, he flew in alone at it and started pushing it away from town. A little while later, he started to feel electricity gathering at the surface. He backed up and flew away just before a bolt shot out and nearly killed him.

As another group flew in to continue the effort, Scar turned back towards his brother's signal still feeling torn about what he should do. Rainbow flew up to him wondering what the fuss was all about. "What's going on here Scar? What's with the explosion thing?"

"I...well..." He didn't know how to answer her. He just flew off towards the signal but suddenly stopped and flew back towards the cloud. Rainbow noticed his dilemma and flew in next to him.

"What's happening Scar?" she asked. He opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by yet another bolt of lightning. Scar circled the cloud with Rainbow at his tail.

"He...needs my help..." Scar said to her.

"Who, Ironhead?" Rainbow asked. "I already got a team at Sweet Apple Acres. You don't need to-"

"No." he interrupted. "Solstice, my brother."

That took her by surprise. "You got another brother here in-"

She never got to finish. Distracted by his inability to decide, a bolt of lightning shot out of the cloud, grazing the top of Scar's right wing. He screamed out loud and began to plummet just like Rainbow did a few moments earlier. Like Scar did earlier, Rainbow flew in after him hooves stretched before her ready to catch him before he could splatter against the ground.

Halfway there, Scar's eyes shot open. He had just had it with that stupid cloud threatening the town and everpony in it. There was only one way to get it of it, and he didn't like it, but unless he used his powers, the cloud would still be there. He hesitated about using them, but keeping his secret wasn't important as everpony else at the moment.

He straightened himself up and checked his wing. It, like Rainbow's, was slightly singed but still usable. He readied himself and suddenly pulled up just a foot before hitting the ground. Rainbow saw him fly upwards and hastily veered to the side. She watched him rise and remembered just why he was called Scarlet Blur. She flew in after him and saw him stop several feet away from the cloud.

"EVERYPONY OUT OF MY WAY!" he shouted swinging his hoof. Those within earshot and those trying to push the cloud moved to the side just as Rainbow flew up to him.

"Scar. You Ok?" she asked noticing his singed wing. "Just what the hay are you-"

"Rainbow." Hearing the seriousness in his voice stopped her. Scar gazed into those magenta eyes he loved, sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's time you knew...who I really am..."

Now she was confused. Who he was? She knew who was. He was an awesome flyer and a really good friend, a pony she could trust. Was there more to him that she didn't know? She was about to find out.

"I am Scarlet Blur...The Winds of Treachery!"

He swung his hooves outwards, and his wings suddenly expanded, growing to around five times their normal size. Rainbow's jaw, as well as everypony else's jaw dropped at the sight. Ignoring them, Scar pulled his massive wings back and gave a mighty flap, sending out a powerful gust of wind. The wind caused Dash to tumble away from him. When she finally stabilized herself, she saw the wind Scar generated slam into the cloud, pushing it several feet back.

Not satisfied, the massive-winged colt flew upwards at speeds greater than his usual. He suddenly stopped several miles up and dove down. As he flew, Scar twisted and got into a spin, the same trick Rainbow saw him perform the first time they met. This time however, she saw wind beginning to gather around Scar's body in a spiraling motion. It accumulated quickly, and before the eyes of all who were watching, Scar became engulfed in a tornado of his own creation.

Said tornado suddenly stopped its descent and headed straight for the storm cloud. Rainbow quickly flew to the side but was still blown aside from the massive winds generated. After stabilizing herself once again, she saw Scar, surrounded by his tornado, slam into the storm cloud. The cloud held itself together, but, after being drilled by Scar's, tornado, it vanishing while sending out a few more sparks.

His goal finished, Scar dispelled his tornado but kept his wings expanded. Sighing and ignoring the startled gazed directed at him, Scar turned around and flew of in the direction of his brother's signal ready to help in any way he could. As he did so, he passed by Rainbow who looked at his retreating figure wondering just what he said meant.

The Winds of Teachery...

"...Scar...?"

* * *

"Eep!"

The explosion drew Ash's eyes upwards. There adorning the skyline were three arcs of teal magical energy, his brother's signal. Since they were young, Solstice had developed that signal to call the rest of his brothers. It told them that he needed help and to gather at whatever place he fired it from.

"Wh-what was that?" a weak voice said. Ash looked back down and saw Fluttershy peering at the sky from behind a tree; she had apparently hidden herself there when she heard the explosion. "What is that?" she wondered. She looked back at her fellow pegasus staring at the signal as if it meant something to him. "D...do you know what that is Ash?"

Ash did know what it was. Pretty soon, Ironhead and Scar would be converging on the spot to assist Solstice in whatever he needed to do. As for Ash, he wouldn't help; he couldn't help. He would deny his brother the help that he needed-

Ash gasped, clutched his head and backed up as those thoughts crossed his head. _Why should I help him? I...I don't care what happens to him...T...to them..._

As the thoughts continued, he began trembling and clutching his head tighter and tighter._ I don't care...I don't care about them...They...they can die for all I care!...I'm evil...I'm vile...I'm horrible..._

"Ash?" Worried, Fluttershy approached him warily. She gently extended a hoof towards him.

"I'm cruel!"

He violently swatted her hoof away and snarled at her. Upon seeing the frightened look on the mare's face, Ash's eyes widened and turned away. Fluttershy saw it again, the pain in his eyes when he knocked her hoof aside. Why did Ash say and do mean things when he would just regret them afterwards? Just what kind of things troubled the poor boy?

"I don't...need friends..." he said, his voice shaking with pain. "I don't...want friends...I don't...don't...don't..."

"I DON'T DESERVE THEM!"

After blurting out one of his biggest secrets, he hastily covered his mouth. His outburst startled Fluttershy. She watched as he sat on his hunches and began whimpering and trembling while clutching his head. In his mind, Ash kept telling himself that he really didn't deserve friends, nor a family, nor anypony else for that matter. He reminded himself that he lived to bring suffering and pain towards others. It was what he was; nopony could ever change that.

"Y...you can't say that Ash." Hearing her soft, kind voice made him face her. "Everypony needs a friend, especially ponies who're hurting inside like you. And it doesn't matter if you've done something terrible. I mean...I've done some pretty bad things before...but...but my friends still stuck by me. They helped me in more ways than you can imagine. Don't you want anypony to help you?"

Ash was silent for a while. "I...I'm beyond help...You..You can't help me...Nopony can..."

"Then...Can I at least try...?"

The offer sounded pure and full of good intent. Ash could practically feel the kindness she was offering him, warm, soothing, comforting. Unfortunately, the display caused more thoughts to plague his head. _No...I don't deserve her kindess..._

"Shut up...SHUT UP!" he bellowed at her. "I'm the most evil...the most vile, despicable pony in the world!" he shouted at Fluttershy who noticed the fear and panic in his eyes. "I don't need your friendship! I don't need your kindness! Making others suffer...I'm...happy this way..."

He was panting from all the shouting he did. Fluttershy had backed up when he began shouting, but now that he seemed to have calmed down, she slowly approached him. Still wide-eyed, Ash stood his ground ash the mare stopped and looked at him with sorrow and pity in her eyes. She saw his pain and wanted nothing more than to make it go away.

"You're...not happy..."

Hearing that almost brought him to his breaking point. Before she could say another word, he turned around and flew back into the forest as fast as he could. Her eyes, those cyan orbs shining with kindness, were branded into his mind. Just thinking about them and how kind she was caused unfamiliar and unwelcome feelings to boil up inside him. Shaking his head, he continued on intending to get as far away from her as possible.

Back at the clearing, Fluttershy continued to stare at the spot where Ash was. When she looked into his eyes, she saw something else other than the pain and regret they usually displayed. She could practically see the darkness gnawing away at him from within, threatening to consume him entirely. The darkness scared her, but the thought of somepony being consumed by it scared her more.

Could there still be hope for him?

"...Ash..."

* * *

Solstice took a sip and set the teacup back down. "I must thank you for the tea Twilight." he said to the surprised unicorn mare. "I haven't a had a cup that good in ages."

"What did you just do?" Twilight asked noticing the teal light shining through the window.

"I assure you it's nothing to worry yourself about." Solstice explained. "What I fired is merely a signal, one I use to call for help." He looked at a nearby clock. "Strange, they should be here by now."

"Who-"

The door suddenly burst open with a loud bang. Twilight also had to shield herself from a sudden gust of wind that blew through it. Solstice remained calm and watched his two brothers enter the library.

"Ironhead? Scar?" Twilight asked astonished.

"Twilight?" The newcomers said together.

"I see you've met my brothers." Solstice told her. "The Winds of Treachery Scarlet Blur and the Strength of Deceit Ironhead. Now that the proper introductions are finished, we can now get straight to the point."

As Twilight's eyes traveled from brother to brother, Scar approached Solstice. "What the hell bro? I thought you had an emergency or something. Why'd you call us here?"

"I've found what you've been searching for since you arrived here. Twilight here refuses to tell me, so I called you both to see if we can get through to her." he answered. Both his brothers looked at each other with raised eyebrows. "Scar, Ironhead...this is our chance..."

He was right. There were just moments away from reaching the source of the light that was threatening to destroy Ponyville. They could save them, the Apples, Rainbow, everyone in Ponyville. They wouldn't have to go through the same pain they experienced all those years ago. The brothers nodded firmly at each other and turned to Twilight.

"The Elements of Harmony Twilight, where are they?" Solstice asked. She backed up as the unicorn approached her slowly with his brothers.

"C'mon Twilight, just tell us where they are." Ironhead pleaded. "We've been looking since we got here."

"Is that why you asked me about Light?" Twilight asked turning to Scar.

"Well...yeah." the latter answered. "Look Twilight, I'm sorry I didn't say anything about this, but we had to lie about who we were to do our job. Just tell us where the Elements are, and we'll get outta your mane."

She didn't plan on telling them. The Elements were taken before, and she wasn't going to let that happen again. She looked at Solstice who was gazing at her intently. She really felt a connection with him during the brief time that they had, and now, here he was threatening the town and trying to get the Elements. The Magic of Discord? Just what did he mean by that? Deciding to deal with her emotions later, she stood her ground, ready to protect the Elements.

"I won't let you take them." she said as her horn began to glow.

"Twilight, wait!"

A flash of magic later, she was gone. Solstice sighed and turned to his two brothers. "She should still be in town. Fan out and search for her. She seems rather upset with us, so try to reason with her." he said. The tip of his glowed and created a spiral of teal energy with two long tendrils. The tendrils detached themselves from his horn and entered the heads of Scar and Ironhead. Their eyes momentarily turned teal before reverting to their natural color.

Both his brothers nodded and left to find Twilight. Solstice remained in the library for a while thinking about what had just happened. He didn't understand why she was upset when he said that he was looking for the Elements. Whatever the reason, he felt bad for upsetting her and wondered if this would all be settled without conflict.

Twilight held the answers he was seeking. Ponyville's fate could rest on what she told them. Thinking of the lives at stake, Solstice teleported into town ready to find the mare that had captured his heart.


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19  
THE CHASE

The town square was still buzzing with the news of the two disasters when Twilight appeared. As soon as she did, she looked around wondering if she'd been spotted by one of the brothers. When she didn't spot any once of them, she galloped out of the square as fast as she could.

She wasn't planning on getting and securing her Element. If she was being tailed, she could end up leading them to it. Still formulating her next plan, she turned at a corner. Ironhead suddenly burst through an alley before her and spotted her. She dug her hooves into the ground and lit up her horn.

"Twilight, wait!" But the unicorn had already teleported away before he could get the chance to talk. She reappeared in the middle of Stirrup Street, startling a few ponies as she did. She galloped away again and dove into an alley. Looking around, she spotted a stack of crates and dove behind them. She stuck her head out for a while before covering herself once more.

Now alone, she had time to think. The brothers were searching for her and the Elements of Harmony. They didn't seem to know that any of her friends had the Elements meaning that they were safe for the moment, but she had to warn them that Solstice and his brothers were after the Elements. Scar and Ironhead had gotten close to Rainbow and Applejack; what that also part of their plan?

She was in Stirrup Street; Carousel Boutique was just on the other corner. Hoping that Rarity and Spike were there, she teleported to the entrance of the dress shop and hurriedly knocked on the door. She turned around and scanned the area for any of the brothers and turned around when, to her relief, the door opened.

"Twilight, what a pleasant surprise. How were things with Sol-"

"Not now Rarity!" Twilight cried out. "Where's Spike?!"

Her panicked tone surprised her. "Why...why he's inside. Spike?" Rarity called to the dragon.

The latter was quick to respond to his crush's voice. Spike was floating towards them, hearts in his eyes, apparently having enjoyed his time with Rarity. "Something wrong Rarity? You you need me to help you polish another-"

"Not now Spike!" Twilight's shout brought him back to earth. Rubbing the spot where he hit the floor, he listened to her. "I need to get a letter to the princess; it's urgent."

"I have a few scrolls over there." Rarity said pointing at a nearby desk. Spike hurried there and fetched a quill and parchment.

"OK. Dear Princess Celestia-"

"Twilight!"

The librarian turned and saw a red shape descend towards her. She quickly turned back to her assistant. "Elements in danger. Ponies after them." she spoke hurriedly as Scar approached.

Rarity cut in. "Twilight, what in Equestria-"

"I'll explain later!" the frantic Twilight cried out. "Spike, send that, lock the door and don't let him in."

Before either of them could question her further, she teleported away. Spike and Rarity got a glimpse of Scar nearing them; they bolted back into the shop, locked and barricaded the door just in case just as Scar landed. He looked in confusion at the store's entrance, wondering why they locked themselves in. Passing it off as nothing, Scar turned to the side.

_I just lost her. How're you guys doing?_ he thought.

_Saw her a while ago, but she bolted._ Ironhead's voice said in his mind.

_Found her!_ Solstice said getting his brothers' attention. _She's on path leading out of Ponyville._

_Stay on her. I'm on our way._ Scar said taking to the skies once more.

* * *

"Twilight!" Solstice called out startling the mare who was just on her way to warn Fluttershy. "You have no reason to panic. Just tell me where the Elements of Harmony are and I-"

"Just what do you want with them?" she asked before the request could be completed.

Solstice drew back a bit to show that he meant no harm. "Forgive me, but I cannot answer that Twilight. I must know where the Elements are; I shall explain myself when this is over. Perhaps over coffee like we discussed-."

Twilight looked at him incredulously. "How could you even think of that at a time like this?!" she exclaimed causing the colt to wince. "I thought you were a nice guy Solstice, but you threatened my friends!"

"I...What?!"

Before he could question her further, he saw her horn glow once more. Anticipating another teleportation spell, he channeled his own magic at the same time. Just as she began to vanish, he fired a thread of teal magic and connected it with her horn. Twilight realized this only half a second before they vanished.

She reappeared somewhere in Ponyville, but, to her shock, Solstice had appeared along with her. She charged up again for another teleportation spell, but her horn was once again connected to Solstice's.

"Forgive my methods Twilight, but they are necessary." Solstice told her. "Now, if you could just tell me-"

A sudden flash from her horn momentarily blinded him. Unable to see, he heard her teleport away and sighed. Blinking spots out of his eyes, he turned to the side. _She managed to elude me._

_I got her!_ Ironhead shouted. _Dammit, she got away again._

_Successive teleportations are taxing on normal unicorns. _Solstice thought as he raced into town._ She should eventually tire out._

_Hang on..._Scar's voice said._ I found her, and she's not teleporting. _

_Where are you? _Solstice asked.

_Hayseed Avenue._

_On it._

* * *

Twilight was running for her life from a guy who didn't even want to hurt her. The scarlet pegasus dipped low and flew on the galloping unicorn's right. "C'mon Twilight, don't let it be like this." he begged. "Tell us where the Elements are."

Twilight remained silent and galloped and galloped even faster. "HEEELP!" she cried out as Scar caught up with her. He kept his eyes on her as they rounded a corned. He opened his mouth to shout again, but Twilight did it before him. "Rainbow!"

Hearing that forced Scar to look forwards, seeing the cyan pegasus flying towards them. They both parted and allowed her to dash past them. Rainbow did a quick turn and flew on Twilight's right.

"Rainbow?!" Scar exclaimed.

"Twilight? Scar? What the hey's going on here?" she questioned turning from pony to pony.

"Rainbow...Scar...Trying to get...Elements..." Twilight panted exhausted from the running and teleportations.

"I can explain!" Scar cried out. "OK, maybe I can't, but I have to do this!"

Twilight began to slow down and eventually came to a halt. As she caught her breath, the pegasi looked at each other, Rainbow in disbelief and Scar in shame. "Scar...is she serious?" she asked him.

Guilty for keeping secrets from her and desiring nothing but for all this to go down smoothly, Scar sighed and faced her. "R...Rainbow..."

"Scar!" A great teal flash caught their attention as Solstice appeared in their midst. "Have you done it? Have discovered where the Elements of Harmony are?"

"So you are after them!" Rainbow accused rounding up on her fellow pegasus.

Scar gulped and backed up a little turning from Rainbow to Solstice repeatedly. He was doing this for her, for all of Ponyville, but he couldn't tell her. "R-Rainbow, you don't understand. I have to do this."

"Twilight please, I'm just as tired as yourself about this whole business." Solstice said approaching the unicorn. "Now, please tell us where the Elements are."

"Hold up buster." Solstice halted when Rainbow flew in his path. "You guys chased my one of my friends through town and are trying to get the Elements. Don't think you guys aren't gonna get away with this."

"R-Rainbow-"

"I see. So you are involved with the Elements as well Ms. Rainbow." Solstice said rather calmly to the agitated mare's face. "I take it that if Twilight here refuses to tell me, the same can be said for you?"

Rainbow drew back and scrutinized him a bit. "Ya got that right; you're not getting your hooves on the Elements. Beat it Twi'. I got these guys."

Twilight nodded and bolted as away as fast as she could. _Ironhead, she's heading south._ _Scar and I will be with you shortly. _Solstice thought. "Scar?"

The latter sighed and flew off in Twilight's direction. "Hey!" He looked to the side and saw Rainbow flying alongside him. "I-I can't believe this Scar; how could you do something like this?! I thought you were my friend!"

"Look I...I'm sorry OK?" he said pleadingly. "Please, just let me do this. Trust me Rainbow...please..."

To his dismay, she still had that furious look on her face. _Solstice, I can't do this! _he screamed in his head.

_I understand that this is difficult for you, but please bear it Scar._ his brother replied. _If you truly care for her, then you should put her safety and her life above anything else. I am uncertain if there will be an opportunity to explain yourself in the future, but unless we find our answers, there may not be an opportunity at all!_

Scar gritted his teeth realizing that he was right and turned to her. "I'm sorry Rainbow."

His wing suddenly expanded to their massive size startling Rainbow. Scar gave an almighty flap that not only propelled him forward at phenomenal speeds, but also send backwards a gust of wind that blew Rainbow off track. By the time she recovered, Scar was just a small dot heading into the distance. Nevertheless, she pushed on wanting to give Scar a piece of her mind.

* * *

Ironhead spotted Twilight quickly after she separated from Rainbow. Upon spotting him, she quickly halted and darted into the street to her right. Ironhead was quick to follow her through the streets of Ponyville. He noticed look ahead and spot something in the distance.

"Applejack, help!"

Startled, he looked ahead seeing said earth pony watch her friend rush past her. When she turned to look behind her, Applejack locked eyes with Ironhead for a split second during which she managed to piece together what was going on. As Ironhead sped past her, she fixed up her hat and raced after them.

After rounding a corner, Applejack pulled out her trusty lasso with her teeth and began twirling it above her head. With a mighty swing, she launched it at him and managed to get it around his neck. Smiling, she pulled back to reel him in, but to her surprise, her hooves left the ground and she began bouncing up and down.

Ironhead seemed to be unaware that he was dragging her along. Getting her front hooves on the rope, AJ pulled and dug her hind legs into the ground. All she did however was slowly him down slightly and leave a trail of drag marks in her wake.

The colt had noticed the decrease in speed and looked back. His jaw dropped, and he quickly dug his hooves into the ground. He stopped quickly, but Applejack still had plenty of momentum which launched her forward and made her let go of her lasso. She flew through the air for a moment and crashed into Twilight. The two mares tumbled around before slamming into the side of a building.

After getting rid of the lasso around his neck, Ironhead rushed to the two fallen ponies. "Oh crap; are you guys alright?" he asked worriedly.

"Y-yeah..." Applejack said getting up and checking on Twilight. "Now...what the hay is goin' on here?"

"Ironhead...after Elements..." Twilight panted still lying on the ground.

"Say what now?!" Applejack cried out turning to the colt with shock on her face. "Ironhead, is this true?"

The latter wondered if he could somehow lie his way out of this. _This is Applejack; I can't lie to her..._ He took a deep breath. "Y...You see AJ-"

"Ironhead!" Applejack jumped back as Solstice teleported himself to their location. "Oh dear; Twilight are you alright?" he asked worried approaching the fallen unicorn. "Let me help you up."

He surrounded her body with a teal magical aura and propped her up on all fours. After doing so, his attention turned to the other mare in the group. "Another one of your friends I take it? Is she also involved with the Elements of Harmony?"

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Whaddya want with the Elements?"

"Where they are to be exact." Solstice answered. "They could hold the answers we seek."

"'We'? Does that include him?" She gestured towards Ironhead who backed up a bit.

"Why yes." Solstice replied calmly. "You see-"

A brown hoof stopped him mid-sentence. "I...I wanna tell her bro."

Solstice nodded and stepped back allowing his brother to approach her. Those green eyes that he loved now showed just how upset he was. He sighed and looked at her pleadingly. "I...I'm sorry Applejack. I...I lied to you...a lot..."

He bowed his head in shame as he awaited her answer. "Everythin'...Was it all a lie?" she asked wanting to know the truth of all this. Ironhead slowly nodded. "All of it...comin' from Manehatten...lookin' fer a job here...yer life...who ya are...that all ain't true...?" He nodded again. "You've been lyin' ta me since the day we met?"

"I'm sorry. I'm...so sorry...I didn't want to lie to you really. But I had to." he raised his head. "I-I just-I had to...I didn't want you know...not like this..."

He sighed as she turned away from him. He could already imagine the disappointment and disbelief she felt about being lied to. "I...I can't believe this...I-I trusted you!"

"I knew it was wrong to lie, but I had to do it." Ironhead replied.

"Ya got close ta me...to my fam'ly...just to get yer hooves on the Elements?"

"I didn't even know the Elements were involved until a while ago." he told her.

"How do I know that ain't a lie right there?"

"I-It's not!" he argued. "Look, I'm sorry OK? I'll make it up to you sometime, but now, I need to know where the Elements are."

"Hmph. You ain't gettin' the elements, not on my watch." Applejack said standing her ground.

Ironhead pouted while Solstice turned to the side._ Scar, where are you?_

_Ah! R-Ow! Rainbow-Gah! Ack! Almost-Oof! There!_

A sudden crash nearby caught the group's attention. The ponies looked to the side and saw a pair of massive red wings covering something on the ground. The wings then began to shrink to their average size revealing Scar underneath them. He got up and shook some dust off himself.

"Sorry about that." He approached them wincing a little. "Something came up."

"Hey! I'm more than just something!" The group looked up and saw Rainbow land in front of Twilight with Applejack. "Anyway, I still can't believe you Scar!"

"Rainbow, I know this looks bad, but we need to know where the Elements are." Scar replied.

"An' jus' whaddya want with 'em? Y'all don't know the hell we went through last time we lost 'em." Applejack told them.

"We just wanna know where they are." Ironhead reasoned. "C'mon guys, just tell us already."

The four of them had erupted into a large argument. Ironhead and Applejack seemed to be the most fervent ones arguing followed by Rainbow and then Scar. Accusations were flung around, excuses and apologies were mentioned, some shouting occurred, all in all, things were not so great among the four of them.

_...1..._

_...2..._

_...3..._

_...4..._

_...5.._.

The whole time, Solstice appeared to be perfectly calm. Twilight, now feeling much more energized, saw him eyes tightly closed. She was surprised by how at ease he looked despite the huge fight going involving his brothers and her friends.

In his mind, Solstice was slowly counting to ten. It was a simple, common technique, but it worked when it came to calming him down. The whole situation, being so close to his answer and not getting it, the arguing occurring at the moment, seeing his brothers troubled and pleading, it was all too stressful to him; he just had to start counting.

_...6..._

_...7..._

_...8..._

_...9..._

_...10..._

Eventually, he opened his eyes which still had that calm look in them. He approached the quarreling ponies and cleared his throat. "That is enough all of you." he said loudly but softer than a shout. He managed to get their attention.

"Hey, you OK Solstice?" Ironhead asked worriedly as his brother bit his lip and closed his eyes tightly.

Scar looked at him with worry too. Solstice sighed and adjusted his glasses. "Let's end this quickly please."

He startled the group by firing another displacement link at Twilight's horn. The mare struggle to break the link, but Solstice managed to hold on. "Hey, let her go!" Rainbow cried out leaping at him. Instead of crashing into hi, he crashed into a massive scarlet wing whose owned used to shield his brother's body.

Applejack reared up, but was intercepted by Ironhead. Still very much upset for being lied to, she glared at him before quickly turning around. Ironhead instantly knew what was coming. "N-No! Applejack, wait!"

Too late. Applejack went and gave him a solid buck right to his jaw. The second she made contact, a massive jolt of pain coursed through her body starting from her hind legs. Worried that she'd hurt herself and feeling guilty for being the cause of it, Ironhead watched her stumble back and fall clutching her hind leg.

"What're ya made of rock or somethin'?!" she cried out, her legs still stinging.

Ironhead tried to apologize, but Solstice cut him off. "Scar, I need a distraction."

The later nodded reluctantly and took to the sky where proceeded to flap his massive wings several times generation harsh winds that blew dust everywhere. Applejack was blown aside easily while Rainbow beat her own wings just to stay in place. Twilight would've been blow away as well if she weren't attached to Solstice who held on to Ironhead who strangle wasn't affected by the powerful wind.

With the other two mares occupied, Solstice's horn began to glow. A powerful flash erupted from it, momentarily blinding Applejack and Rainbow. The winds suddenly stopped leaving Rainbow to fall to the ground. She got up and noticed Applejack trying to get up from being blown over. Twilight and the brothers were nowhere in sight.

* * *

They reappeared along the outskirts of Ponyville. Once there, Solstice released his link with Twilight who was a little dizzy from the sudden teleportation. He approached her still looking rather calm. "I assure you Twilight, if there was any other way, I would not be doing this." His horn began to glow. "Please forgive me."

He touched his forehead to her sending a massive surge through Twilight who saw images flash in her mind. She saw herself standing before the broken display case where the Elements stood. Using her magic, she took each of the five necklaces and turned around to where her five friends stood looking sure of themselves. She passed each Element to its respective owner before placing her own Element in her hooves. Hoping that this was much better off, she turned to her friends.

"Make sure they're safe."

With a mighty cry, Twilight wrenched herself out of the memory and landed on her back right back in reality. She looked up seeing Solstice shaking his head from the sudden ejection from her mind. He eventually recovered and looked at her. "I see...The Elements of Harmony are here in Ponyville." he said.

His brothers looked at each other. Twilight got up and directed her words at them. "You're not going to find them." she said defiantly.

Solstice wasn't fazed at all. "Twilight, I need to know where they. If you could just cooperate-"

A sudden bolt of magical energy surged from her horn only stopped when it collided with a teal barrier around Solstice. "Please don't make this difficult for yourself." he said lowering his shield.

Twilight responded by summoning up her magic once again. Sensing trouble, Ironhead and Scar stepped forward to protect their brother. As Solstice charged up his own magic, Twilight looked at the three of them; she didn't know if she could take all of them on. How would she get out of something link this?

"Twilight!"

That was when they heard a high-pitched voice coming from a hill behind them. The four of them watched as a shape appeared at the peak and began rolling down towards them. The brothers scattered as it barreled past them and stopped next to Twilight revealing it to be a pony riding on top of a cannon with wheels.

"Pinkie?!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Pinkie?!" Ironhead cried out.

"She has a cannon?!" Scar yelled startled by the weapon.

"Oh don't be silly Scar; it's a party cannon!" Pinkie said hopping off it.

Twilight was still trying to put this all together. "P-Pinkie...what are you doing here?"

"Well, my head got real itchy and I sneezed." the party pony answered simply. The three brothers silently looked at each other as if they were waiting for the punch line.

"I...beg your pardon?" Solstice asked.

"When my head itches and get all sneezy, that mean sompony's being chased, so I was like *Gasp!* 'Somepony's playing tag without me?!', so I ran around looking for who was getting chased and who was it, but I got really really tired, so I thought 'Hey, why don't I look from the sky?', but then I remembered my flying machine was still all broken, so I thought 'I need something with wheels.' and then I remembered this thing, so I rode around it and it wall fun and I went like 'Wheee! Why haven't I tried this before?' and then I saw Twilight, Scar and Ironhead with a new pony so I wen 'A new pony? I should say hi', so...HI!"

Pinkie was up in his face when she finished. Solstice blinked and looked from Ironhead to Scar and saw his own surprise reflected on them. "Er...Hello as well Ms. Pinkie, yes? My name is-"

"Pinkie, they're trying to get the Elements!" Twilight cried out.

"Ah yes, you held one of them at some point." Solstice said remembering the pink mare from Twilight's memory.

"Yup, but I'm not telling!" She made a zipping motion with her mouth with her hoof and bounced on over to Twilight. "Twilight and I Pinkie Promised not to tell anypony about the elements."

"I see." Solstice nodded. "Then rest assured, you will not be exactly telling me where they are." He approached the two of them, his horn aglow.

"Don't worry Twilight; I got this!" Pinkie said jumping behind her party cannon. Solstice stopped his advance and looked at it curiously.

"I cannot help but ask, what exactly is a party cannon?"

"Well it's a cannon that shoots party stuff. Like this!"

She aimed the cannon at Ironhead and pressed a button at the back. There was a loud boom and a flash of brown followed by the smell of something sweet. Scar stared wide-eyed at his brother underneath a massive chocolate complete with vanilla frosting and a pair of candles on top.

"Oh my." Solstice said amazed by the contraption. "Is this an invention of yours?"

"Nope. I bought from a party cannon store." Pinkie replied pointing the cannon at Scar.

The pegasus could only freeze up as Pinkie fired. He was knocked back a bit and felt several long, thin things wrap around his body and legs. To his surprise, he began floating off the ground. He looked up and saw to his surprise several pink, blue and yellow helium balloons pulling him into the sky.

"I must study this machine!" Solstice cried out excitedly. That excitement however vanished upon seeing the cannon pointed right at him. "No-wait!"

Pinkie pressed them button. Solstice's eyes shrunk as a massive jet of water shot from out of the cannon hitting him square in the face. The stream was strong enough to knock him off his hooves and carry him several feet away until he collided with the back of the hill Pinkie came from.

The whole time, Twilight stared at the display with her jaw hanging. Making a mental note to never get on the receiving end of the party cannon, she turned to her friend in awe and a little fear. "Wh-what was that last one?"

"Well if ever we wanted a pool party, I brought the pool." True enough, the water jet slowly came to a stop, and out of the cannon came a pink inflatable pool along with a beach ball. "Huh, maybe I shoulda fired the pool _before_ the water..."

Twilight looked from the giant cake on top of Ironhead to the shrinking red dot that was Scar and to soggy trail of Solstice. "Well at least they'll be out for a while." she said composing herself. "Now then, the Princess sould be responding to my letter any minute now. Pinkie, round up the others and-"

A flash of teal light stopped her mid-sentence. Twilight gasped as Solstice reappeared in front of them and cast a spell to dry himself off. There was then a loud cry as the cake exploded, revealing an unharmed Ironhead licking some frosting on his hoof. To make things worse, Scar landed near his brothers now balloon-free.

"Now then, where were we?" Solstice approached them, his horn aglow.

"Pinkie, do something!"

Pinkie aimed her cannon, but Solstice cast a magical barrier around himself and his brothers. The party cannon shot out a piñata, but it crashed harmlessly against the barrier, spilling its contents everywhere. "Dibs." Scar said pointing at the candy scattered around.

Twilight gulped and stepped back along with Pinkie. Solstice, calm as ever, got closer and closer. Thinking fast, she charged up one last teleportation spell hoping that they would get out of there and call for help.

She didn't need it. Before she could finish her spell, the ground began to shudder. The glow from her horn vanishing, she stared at the ground as it began to shudder under her hooves. She got low and stabilized herself, but it wasn't that powerful, just a minor quake.

"H-Hey, m-my v-voice s-sounds f-funny." Pinkies said as her teeth chattered against the tremors.

Twilight was about to tell her to take this seriously when she noticed the brothers. All three of them had frozen in place, their faces wide and still as if they'd just seen something frightening.

They were blind and deaf to everything else. The shuddering of the ground was all to familiar to them. They could still picture that day despite the years that had gone by. The ground lurching...buildings coming down...screams of panic...pain more intense and agonizing than anything else they'd felt...

And light...Light was everywhere.

In the middle of the tremor, Scar spread his wings and took off flying far away as fast as he could. Ironhead was trembling like crazy, even more than the ground did. Solstice looked forward and, for a split second, met Twilight's eyes. Those amethysts were the last thing he saw before his visioned darkened.

Twilight gasped when Solstice suddenly collapsed. The tremors continued for about a minute more before finally stopping. Ironhead, the only one among his brothers present and conscious, quickly scooped his unconscious brother onto his back and galloped away as fast as he could.

Panting a little, Twilight sat on her hunches and thought about everything from Solstice arrival to his pursuit of the Elements. With any luck, the Princess would have a reply already. "Pinkie, are you alright?" he asked.

"Yup. And my party cannon's OK too." Pinkie replied. "So why were those guys playing tag with you Twilight?"

"They-they weren't playing tag." She took a deep calming breath. "Look, can you gather the others and tell them to meet me at the library."

"Okie dokie lokie Twilight. See ya later." Pinkie replied jumping on her party cannon and rolling away with it. Now alone, Twilight sighed and looked over at the hill where Ironhead passed carrying Solstice.

_Who are these ponies? Why do they want the Elements? And just what was with that tremor?_

* * *

Ponyvillians had much to talk about that day. The fire at Sweet Apple Acres, the storm cloud nearly destroying the town, the two brothers with strange powers chasing the local librarian around and now, the strange tremor that passed and luckily didn't hurt anypony.

A lone earth pony stallion sat at a booth in a coffee shop sipping a latte. All around him, he could hear the other patrons talk about everything that had happened that day. He had no interest in minor chit-chat; he was waiting for somepony.

"Rather nice weather yes?" The earth pony look up and saw a pegasus mare grinning slyly at him. "I for one, think the weather here is excellent. Where do you think had the best weather?"

"Baltimare, but I heard weather's good in Dodge Junction today." the stallion replied. The mare grinned and sat down with him in the booth.

"So?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

The stallion smiled. "Everything's going well so far. As you can hear, the town won't stop talking about it." he said gesturing around the room.

"Yes." She nodded. "Those colts, what's the deal with them?"

"No idea. We weren't informed of them."

"You want me to tail them? You can keep tailing the girls." the mare suggested.

"Sound like a plan. Be sure to report this to the superiors."

The mare nodded and stood up. She trotted passed him and stopped beside him for a while. "That tremor...it's starting isn't it?"

For a while, the stallion was silent. "Indeed." He then smiled and took a sip of his drink before laughing a bit.

"It has begun..."


	20. Chapter 20

Sorry for the delay. I was busy with school crap. That, plus my habit of procrastinating, delayed this chapter. I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't happen again.

* * *

CHAPTER 20  
RECOVERY

"*Blurp!*

A wisp of green flames emerged from Spike's mouth and swirled around in mid-air. Twilight, who was waiting anxiously for this and for her friends to arrive, got up and galloped over to him just as a rolled-up scroll popped into existence. She quickly snatched the scroll away and unrolled it.

_My dearest pupil Twilight Sparkle,_

_I do hope that you are well enough when you receive this message. Please send a reply as soon as you receive this letter._

_I trust that the Elements of Harmony are safe wherever they are. I have dreaded another attempt to obtain the Elements since the incident weeks ago, and it seems my fears were confirmed. I have assembled a squall of royal guards ready to be deployed; just give the word, and they will be there in under an hour._

_I hope to hear from you soon._

_Sincerely,_  
_Princess Celestia of Equestria._

Twilight read her mentor's letter several times already feeling reassured. "Spike, take a note please." The dragon quickly produced a quill and parchment. "Dear Princess Celestia," she began pacing in front of him. "Rest assured that I am perfectly fine and unharmed."

"I'm also happy to report that the Elements of Harmony are untouched by the ponies pursuing me. The three of them are brothers named Solstice, Ironhead and Scarlet Blur. The latter two entered Ponyville a few weeks earlier, but it was only when Solstice arrived that they began to act. They chased me though out Ponyville all while questioning me on the Elements' whereabouts."

"Even though I refused, they managed to view some of my memories but not all of them. They fled after a mysterious tremor shook Ponyville and haven't been seen ever since."

"You think we should get those guards?" Spike asked. "What if those guys come back? We can't exactly wait for another earthquake or something."

"Hmm...Good point." Twilight considered the idea. "Having them around does seem like a good idea, but..." A thought crossed her mind.

"But what?" Spike asked.

She sighed. "Even though Solstice threatened the town, he didn't seem to want to hurt me or the others; the worst he's done so far is veiwing my memories. It just doesn't make sense."

"We almost lost the Elements last time. I wouldn't wanna take chances with those guys if I were you." Spike said.

"Still, I don't think I have all the pieces. If I could get some more information from them, maybe I get a better picture of things." Twilight said.

"Oh please." Spike rolled his eyes. "You're just saying that 'cause you wanna see that Solstice guy again." He raised his eyebrows twice. "I saw those goo-goo eyes you were making. You like him don't you?"

"S-Spike!" Twilight exclaimed though the flush on her cheeks gave her away. "The point is that I need more information. Now back to the letter." Spike readied his writing tools, and Twilight cleared her throat.

"As assuring as having extra protection around sounds, I have to decline the offer for now. I still don't have all the information I need to make an important decision. I ask that you keep the guards on standby until have all the information I need."

"Until next time, your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."

With the letter done, Spike rolled up the scroll and breathed wisp pf green flames which engulfed the scroll and sent it off to Canterlot. Just then, a gentle knock came upon the library door. "Good, that must be one of them." Twilight said opening the door with her magic.

Fluttershy bounded into the room, worry and concern on her face. "Twilight! When I heard you were being chased, I was so worried. Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"I...I'm fine Fluttershy." The latter managed to calm down. "All they did was chase me; they didn't exactly try to hurt me."

"Speak fer yerself." a southern voice said. Both mares watched was Applejack walked into the room with a slight limp.

"Oh my. What happened to you Applejack?" Fluttershy asked hovering over to her friend.

"I gave one of 'em a good 'ol buck to the face, and well, I guess now I know why they call him 'Ironhead'." Applejack said, her hind legs still stinging slightly from earlier. "I'm OK; won't be long 'till these fellers stop achin'."

"I heard ponies talking about the fire on the way here." Twilight said. "Is everything alright at the farm?"

"Granny, Applebloom and Big Mac're OK. The fields're also just fine Twi'." She hesitated a bit. "Kinda thanks to Ironhead in fact. Couldn't've put out the fire without 'im ta be honest."

Twilight could tell that her friend was still upset over being lied to. She opened her mouth to say some words of comfort but was interrupted by the door suddenly bursting open. "Hey Twilight! You find out where those guys went? I thought I saw Scar after the earthquake thing." Rainbow said flying about.

"No I didn't see them Rainbow. Whatever that earthquake was, it scared them off for some reason." Twilight replied. The pegasus huffed and crossed her forelegs. "Still upset about Scar?"

"It's just...I can't believe that guy!" Rainbow exclaimed frustrated. "He came all this way just to get his hooves on the Elements; I thought he was my friend..."

"Rainbow..."

"Hi guys!" Twilight jumped only noticing at that moment that Pinkie was right next to her. "I got everypony Twilight. Rarity should be in here in...Oh hi Rarity!"

The white unicorn entered the library. "Twilight, there you are. What in Equestria is going on here?" she asked wanting to be brought up to speed.

"They were looking for the Elements." Fluttershy gasped at the news. "Solstice came to me and asked me to tell him where the Elements are. When I refused, he called his brothers." Fluttershy's ears perked up for a moment, but nopony noticed. "I refused them as well leading them to chase me around town. They left after that earthquake hit."

"Huh. If those guys tried showing their faces again, I'll make sure they get what's coming to 'em." Rainbow said cracking her hooves.

"Not so fast Rainbow." Twilight reprimanded. "Something doesn't make sense here. Solstice threatened Ponyville, but neither he nor his brothers tried to hurt any of us. Don't you think that's strange?"

"Well it certainly sounded like they were about to hurt you." Rarity said remembering how panicked Twilight was when she arrived at the boutique.

"I was stressed out. All I really cared about at the time were the Elements." Twilight admitted.

"They chased ya 'round like Winona with a squirrel." Applejack pointed out. "They're lookin' fer the Elements Twi'. We can't take chances with this."

"That's what I said, but Twilight here says she wants to try talking." Spike said jerking his thumb at her.

"There's still so much we don't know." she reasoned. "I don't think we should take any action against them until we know what exactly is going on."

"And how do we do that?" Rainbow asked. "They could be anywhere by now."

"Uhm..."

"They could be in their evil lair, plotting their next move and laughing evilly like this: MWAHAHAHAHA!" Pinkie said rubbing her hooves together as the light around her dimmed from some strange reason.

"I think I know away..."

"Now Pinkie, that sounds simply ridiculous." Rarity said. "Evil lairs only exist in those silly comic books you've been reading."

"Hey, those comics aren't silly." Rainbow interjected. "In fact-"

"Excuse me." A meek voice caught the group's attention. Startled by the sudden shift of attention to herself, Fluttershy drew back a bit. "I um...think I know a way to find out more about those colts."

"You do?" Twilight asked.

Fluttershy nodded and turned to Rarity. "Remember that colt I told you about? The one I was trying to help."

"Why...why yes. What does he have to do with this?" Rarity questioned.

"I met him today and talked to him a bit. Well...when that thing exploded in the sky, I think he recognized it." she told her friends. "He might know about solstice and the other guys. Maybe we could ask him."

It seemed like a good idea, but Rarity had her objections to the plan. "Darling, from what you've told me about this colt, I believe we won't be getting his cooperation."

"Just how bad is he Fluttershy?" Twilight asked.

The pegasus's eyes darted from side to side. "Well this morning...He sort of...got really mad and yelled at me a lot..."

"Seriously? What did you do, apologize too much?" Rainbow joked.

Meekly, the shy mare rubbed her foreleg with her hoof. "Well, he got really angry when...when I asked if we could be friends."

"Sounds like he needs a party. Good thing I brought this!" Pinkie said in a sing-song voice as she pulled out her party cannon from out of nowhere.

"It does sound like our only lead." Twilight said after some careful thinking. "If he knows anything about the brothers, we could find out exactly what's going on here."

"If he's anythin' like his brothers, he oughtta be somethin' fierce." Applejack said. "Y'all saw what those three can do; what if he's got some freaky powers too?"

"I don't think he'd hurt any of us." Fluttershy reasoned.

"Fluttershy, you told me he shoved you." Rarity's revelation stunned the rest of the group.

"B-But he looked really miserable after he did it!" Fluttershy said trying to put everpony else at ease.

"So what? They hurt one of us, they're gonna have to deal with the rest of us." Rainbow said flying up to her fellow pegasus. "I say we find this guy, find out what he knows, and then kick his flank all the way across town."

"D-Dash...!" Fluttershy said alarmed.

Luckily, Twilight was there to calm her friend down. "Easy there Dash. Charging in like that isn't very wise nor safe. I agree that we should meet with this colt, but let's not do anything rash OK?"

Rainbow just huffed and nodded in reply. "All right, but I'm comin' with ya Twi'." Applejack said. "There ain't no tellin' what this here pony can do."

"I wanna go too." Pinkie said bouncing up and down excitedly. "Somepony has to lighten up Mr. Grumpy Pants when he's all saddy-waddy."

"Um...his name's Ash Pinkie." Fluttershy corrected.

"I shall accompany you as well Twilight." Rarity announced. "I wish to have a few words with this Ash as well."

"I guess it's settled then." Twilight said turning to Fluttershy. "When can we meet him Fluttershy?"

The latter did some thinking. "He was really upset when he stormed off today, so I don't think he'll go back to where I found him. Maybe we could try tomorrow."

"Then let's all meet up tomorrow at Fluttershy's." Twilight announced earning nods from everypony else. "In the meantime, do you need any help on the farm AJ?"

"Actually...yeah. Without Ironhead, movin' all those dead trees're gonna be a real pain in the flank." the farmer said bitterly. She shook her head. "'Preciate the help Twi'."

"Anything for a friend AJ." Twilight said with a smile and a nod. Her other friends gave nods of agreement which made Applejack smile.

"Alrighty then. Let's hop to it girls." Applejack said adjusting her Stetson and leading the way out of the library. She and her friends began their way towards the ruined portion of Sweet Apple Acres."

"Twilight?" A soft voice to her right caught her attention. Fluttershy walked up to her and looked at the ground. "Listen...I don't think Ash is a bad pony. He's just...sad all the time. You believe me right?"

Twilight thought about how to respond. If Fluttershy, the nicest pony she knew, said that Ash wasn't so bad, then there wasn't anything to fear. Then again, hearing about the things he did to her made her wary about dealing with him. What if Ash started going off and did something worse than he'd already done?

However, one thing predominated all those uncertainties, her trust in Fluttershy. Twilight hadn't met Ash yet, so it wasn't her place to judge him. She would just have to trust Fluttershy's words and hop for the best.

"I'll...give him the benefit of the doubt." she finally answered. "If he's easily upset, then I'll do my best to make him feel comfortable. Besides, somepony else has to make sure the others don't do anything rash." She rolled her eyes over to the other pegasus in the group.

Her answer earned her a gentle smile from Fluttershy. "Thank you Twilight. I...I really appreciate it, and...I hope Ash appreciates it too."

"It was a brave and wonderful thing, offering to be his friend." Twilight said. "Friendships change lives; I mean, l'm the perfect example. If you believe your friendship can save him, then I say go for it."

Fluterrshy nodded but looked away sadly. "But what if he gets mad again? What if he doesn't want friends?" She knew that the problem was more complicated than that; Ash said that he didn't _deserve_ friends.

"Then...I suppose you'll have to deal with it Fluttershy." Twilight answered. "And I guess we'll have to deal with him if he gets too upset."

Fluttershy nodded once more and busied herself with her thoughts. Twilight though about this Ash she'd heard of and his possible connection to the brothers. If he cooperated, that would be good for all of them, but if he got violent, would they be able to handle him?

_Ironhead has his strength. Scar has the wind. Solstice has his magic. What's the worst he can do?_

* * *

"What happened out there?!"

Scar and Ironhead flinched a little at their dad's raised tone. Equinox was never the type of pony usually yelled or raised his voice; heck, he rarely got angry at all at anypony. Yet, here he was in his study upset and shaking his head in disappointment while his two sons hung their heads in shame.

Next to the alicorn was Blues, a look of sympathy on his face. He could remember how shocked he felt when they discovered that Solstice had left without warning, worrying them both. Then, his dad came to him with the news that Ironhead and Scar had returned with bearing an unconscious Solstice. His unicorn brother was still out cold, sleeping in his room while their dad dealt with the other two.

The silence that followed was interrupted by a merciless laugh. Right by the door to the study stood Psych who had come to watch Ironhead and Scar get chewed off by their dad. By his side was Ash who was silently watching the scene before him, his mind trying to put away thoughts of Fluttershy's offer earlier that day.

"You were supposed to investigate the town undetected. You chased a mare throughout Ponyville." Equinox continued earning a snigger from Psych. "I can only imagine how frightened she must have been as she fled from you.

"We didn't wanna hurt her..." Scar explained. "He had to know what she was hiding from us. It was our only lead dad."

"That still didn't make it right to hound after her like a pack of timberwolves." Equinox countered still disappointed. "You were in Ponyville for weeks. Even with your job Ironhead, your investigation should have learned something before now."

"I-Its was hard OK?" Ironhead reasoned. "We didn't even know what to look for. And we kinda...got distracted..."

Equinox gave his sons an incredulous look. "I thought you two wanted to save Ponyville. I thought you were willing to spare those ponies the pain you've experienced. How could you let yourselves become sidetracked from what you were trying to achieve?"

"C'mon dad." Scar said a little frustrated himself. He could tell his brother felt the same way. "Have you ever fallen in love with somepony before and did something really stupid and now you're regretting it because you think they hate you and never wanna talk to you or even want to be your friend anymore?"

The alicorn's reaction piqued Psych's interest. He saw Equinox swallow, blink his right eye quicker than his left, and sweat a little on his forehead. _Huh...Just what're you hiding?_ the maroon earth pony thought, mischief in his eyes.

"Look dad, we're sorry; we really are, but we got other stuff to deal with." Ironhead said.

"Allow me to continue." A sudden flash of teal light momentarily blinded everpony. Solstice had appeared in their midst and adjusted his glasses.

"Solstice, you should still be resting." Equinox told his son worriedly.

"If I still required rest, I would still be in bed." Solstice replied. "Father, I was unconscious and yet showed no sign of physical injury. You know only one thing could do such a thing to me-an earthquake..."

The air in the room suddenly felt heavy. All six brothers trembled at the word "earthquake". Solstice shook the painful memories from his mind. "Father, you know what this means."

For the first time, the reality of what had just happened struck Equinox. "It...It's starting...It's only a matter of time before..."

"Before every living soul in Ponyville's wiped out? Wouldn't that be like, the ultimate irony? The one thing those ponies were trying so desperately to protect is responsible for their own destruction, how cool is that?! Hey, if it's possible, can you get me an exact time and date? I wanna be there to watch it all crumble before me." Psych said with an evil grin.

"Psych..." Equinox said looking sadly at his son.

"Light in Ponyville's soil is reaching alarming levels." Solstice continued summoning up a chart with his magic. "And I now know the source of this Light."

"You have?" Equinox said leaning in.

Solstice nodded and lit up his horn. "The Elements of Harmony."

Using his magic, he summoned a hovering rectangle in front of his dad. It flashed and began showing an image, more specifically, the memory he found in Twilight's head. It showed her taking the Elements out of their case and handing them over to her friends telling them to keep them safe. Solstice paused the memory right there and looked at his dad.

Psych raised an eyebrow in interest. He turned to his side and was surprised to see Ash's pupils dilated. Confused, he traced Ash's gaze to one of the mares on the screen, the butter-yellow pegasus with the pink mane. Just who was this mare, and what did she have to do with Ash?

"But...Those are the Elements of Harmony?" Equinox asked pointing a hoof at the five bracelets and tiara.

"They must be." Solstice answered. "Twilight was so willing to protect the Elements. This memory shows that something. These have to be the Elements."

Equinox still looked uncertain. "But...The princess is their current wielder. What are the Elements doing in the hooves of six ordinary ponies?"

Solstice did some thinking. "Could it be that these six mares are the new wielders of the Elements of Harmony?"

His suggestion got the room thinking. Ironhead looked over to the image of Applejack, her face determined as she held the necklace that held a jeweled apple, just like her Cutie-Mark. He suddenly thought all about her and what other ponies said about her, and everything made sense.

"Applejack..." Ironhead said pointing at the orange mare. "...Element of Honesty..." _No wonder she was so upset when she found out I lied to her..._

Scar looked at his with a raised eyebrow before he understood. He looked over to his crush holding the necklace. Knowing her, she wouldn't let her friend down. Twilight trusted her to protect what she was holding, and he knew she would never let her down.

"That's Rainbow Dash...Element of Loyalty..." he said, his eyes on the determined ones of the blue pegasus.

"I'm surprised they managed to make their Element of Magic appear as well." Solstice said, his gaze on the golden tiara in Twilight's hooves. "It seems rather fitting that Twilight wields it."

"That just leaves the other three." Equinox said looking at the three remained mares.

"That one's uh...Fluttershy." Scar said pointing at the screen. "No idea what her Element could be though."

"...Kindness..." Ash whispered loud enough for anypony else to hear. He ignored them thinking how fitting that was. She was the Element of Kindness; no wonder she did all those things to him...

Surprised gazes were directed at him, but he remained silent. When he refused to elaborate, Equinox turned back to the screen. "That just leaves the other two." he said.

"That's Pinkie Pie." Scar said. "She's an insane, bubbly, over active, ball of sugary sweets that just wants to make everypony smile."

That description caused Psych's ears to perk up. He looked up and found the pink pony Scar had described. His legs began to tremble slightly as he took in her that bubblegum coat, that poofy mane, those blue eyes.

_...Pinkie Pie..._

"...The Element of Laughter..."

"Huh, that kinda makes sense." Ironhead said agreeing with Psych while ignorant of what was going through his brother's mind. "That just leave Rarity over there with the Element of Generosity."

"If your descriptions are correct, then these mares must be the ones chosen by the Elements." the silvery alicorn said. "The fact that they were able to summon up the spark for their Element of Magic proves this. Still...how did ownership of the Elements get passed onto them from the princess?"

"I can't think of any connection between them and the Princess Celestia." Solstice said. "More research into the matter is needed."

"Perhaps so, but not today." Equinox looked at his three sons who returned from Ponyville. "The chasing, the earthquake, you three have been through so much today. We will find a solution to this, but for now, you three need to rest up."

Ironhead bowed a little. "Yeah I uh...got a lot to think about. I'll...I'll see you guys around." he said before silently walking to his room.

"Y-Yeah. Me too. Sorry again dad." Scar said doing the same.

With his source of entertainment gone, Psych left as well. Noticing Ash, Equinox opened his mouth to speak, but the grey pegasus turned and let as well. Equinox bowed and sighed shaking his head in the process.

"Father?" He looked up at the sound of Solstice's voice. "Father, I wish to take full responsibility for what happened. I initiated the chase, and I admit my methods were rather harsh." Images of Twilight's face throughout the whole encounter flashed in his mind. "I regret my actions just as much as Ironhead and Scar do."

Blues trotted forward and patter his brother's shoulder. Both brothers smiled slightly. "I know you meant well Solstice, but the one you should be apologizing to is this Twilight you speak of."

Solstice nodded. "I pray that she is just as forgiving as you are father." he said before lighting up his horn and teleporting out of the room.

Equinox sighed and did some thinking. An idea struck him, one that could help them get the information they needed. "Blues, I have a task for you." The beige unicorn's ears perked up. "The mares must still be upset with the three of them, and Ash and Psych remain uncooperative. Only you can do this."

Blues nodded understanding that he was being trusted with this task. "What must I do father?"

It seemed like the only way. He was afraid to get involved in case these mares had connections with the princess. Blue's task would be simple, and unlike Ironhead and Scar's, didn't involve keeping too many secrets.

"How would you like to be a mediator?"


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21  
CONFRONTING ASH

"Ugh...it's been two hours; is this guy even gonna show?" Rainbow complained from within the dense branches of a tree.

The six of them were stationed around the clearing where Ash usually frequented. They took to their hiding places, Rainbow in the trees, Twilight and Rarity behind a clump pf bushes, Applejack and Pinkie, complete with a camouflage helmet and a pair of binoculars, behind a pair of trees and Fluttershy at the front barely concealed. For the next two hours, they waited, and now, their patience, especially Rainbow's, began to grow thin.

"I don't really know when he shows up. He just does..." Fluttershy admitted shyly.

Rainbow groaned and went back into her tree. "Cheer up Dashie." Pinkie pulled out a cupcake from out of her saddlebags and tossed it over to her friend. "I got treats for everypony; who wants one?"

"Over here Pinkie." Applejack called. Pinkie tossed another cupcake at Applejack who caught it in her mouth. "Fanks!" she said while chewing.

"Hey Fluttershy, you think Ash would like a cupcake?" Pinkie asked holding out another one to Fluttershy.

"I don't know. It could be like a peace offering." the latter suggested.

"If he is as he sounds Fluttershy, perhaps we could use one." Rarity suggested. "That is of course if he shows up at all." she added, her eyes turning to the empty clearing.

"Can we come back like, later or something? This's all way too boring for me." Rainbow said itching to do something more exciting than waiting.

"We don't know when he'll arrive; that's why we all came prepared to stay for a long time." Twilight said indicating her saddlebags and everypony else's. Rainbow was the only one who didn't bring a saddle bag. "The only thing you brought were a pillow and a blanket." She pointed at the makeshift bed in the branches of the tree.

The blue mare groaned again and retreated back to her hiding place. "Do you have any idea where he could be coming from Fluttershy?" Twilight asked.

Her friend shook her head. "Ash always just flies off deeper into the forest. It's full of dangerous creatures; I'm actually surprised they don't tear him apart." she said a little fearful.

"Hmm...Rainbow, do you think you can fly out and find any kind of settlement anywhere beyond here?" Twilight asked. Her friend smiled.

"Sweet. Time to get away from this boring tree." She spread her wings ready to take off.

Before she could however, she heard Pinkie gasp as she spotted something in her binoculars. "There's somepony coming!" Dash groaned and folded her wings back in.

The six of them tensed up a little and waited. A few moments later, a grey spot appeared in the sky and began to descend into the clearing. In a matter of moments, Ash had arrived at his usual spot to take his mind off things and burn some leaves completely unaware of the other six ponies in the area. He sighed and before walking over to the bush and yanking a leaf out with his mouth.

"That's him; that's Ash." Fluttershy said quietly turning behind her.

Twilight silently urged her forward. Flutershy gulped nervously and took a step forward only stopping when she heard a hushed: "Wait!". She turned around and saw Pinkie fumbling with her saddlebag. The pink pony pulled out another cupcake and tossed it over. Fluttershy fumbled with it a little before catching it in her hooves. Pinkie gave her one last reassuring smile before going back into hiding. Fluttershy steeled herself once more before flying the clearing.

"Um...hello Ash." she greeted shyly. The grey pegasus looked up seeing her for the first time. He sighed and let go of the leaf allowing it to flutter away in the wind. "Would uh...you like a cupcake?"

She extended the treat in an offering manner. Such a kind gesture caused Ash's mind to race. "Are you still going on about that friendship thing?" he asked her.

"Well um...sort of." Ash rolled his eyes. Fluttershy turned back to her friends and received a gesture from Twilight to go on. She flew closer to Ash and deposited the cupcake in front of him. "Here. Try it; it's really good." she said smiling slightly.

He found himself staring at her kind smile she always had. That coupled with her gesture caused unfamiliar feelings to grow inside him. Tensing, he shoved those feelings aside and did his best to ignore them trying to return to the front of his mind. "I...don't eat...cupcakes..." he said rejecting her offer.

Fluttershy thought she heard a muffled gasp from where her pink friend hid. "But, it's really good, I promise. My friend baked it, and she's the best baker in town. Would you please just try it?"

He could feel it again, her kindness surrounding him, enveloping him with warmth, making him feel so calm, so secure, so happy-

_NO!_

Without even thinking, he raised a hoof and crushed the cupcake to a mushy pulp. Fluttershy's gasp was mixed with the gasps of her friends as bit of frosting splattered across the clearing floor. As Ash raised a trembling hoof, Fluttershy noticed his eyes wide with horror and fear.

"I know what this is." he told her with gritted teeth. "I know, what you're trying to do and why you're doing it. I know...who you are, Element of Kindness."

Hearing took her by surprise. "So...you know who I am." she said though Ash didn't reply. "So, you know Solstice and Ironhead and Scar right?" He narrowed his eyes at her surprised to hear that she had been told of the events the previous day. "Do you know why they're after the Elements?"

Fluttershy eagerly awaited his answer. "Why should I tell you?" he answered rudely.

"I-well." Fluttershy stammered surprised by his tone. "We just want...um..."

"Can't you go one damn sentence without-" Ash stopped himself mid shout and trembled slightly. _She's pathetic...weak...why can't I say that to her face?!_

Fluttershy was tempted to look back; she could imagine the looks on her friends' faces after hearing him yell at her. "Um...I'm sorry if it's bothering you." she apologized.

Ash sighed angrily and shook his head while getting up. "Didn't I already drill this into your head? You know what I told you; I am the most vile...evil...c-cruel pony in the world. All I know...is how to hurt others."

Pity coursed through Fluttershy. "I don't believe that." she told him. "Being mean all the time can't be the only thing you can do."

"It...It is...It's...it's what I am..." Ash told her trembling. "This is what I am! I'll...I'll hurt and destroy...anything in my way...you...anypony else...I don't care...I don't care!"

She could feel her friends tense up upon noticing how agitated Ash was getting. "Ash, it doesn't have to be this way. You don't have to do cruel things all the time if you don't want to." she reasoned.

"I have to; it's what I am!" he shouted, his eyes wide and his voice cracking. "Deep down, I'm vile and evil! No matter what you do...you can't change me!"

Hearing such things filled her heart with more pity. His words got Fluttershy thinking. Why did he believe he was evil so strongly? He actually looked like he was forcing himself to do and say all those horrible things. Just what was it that caused this poor boy so much pain?

"Ash, listen..." she said soothingly.

"You can't...can't change who I am...Nopony...nopony can..." Ash said once again, his voice shaking. "I'll always be cruel no matter what...I'll hurt anypony...even you!"

He suddenly raised a trembling hoof leading Fluttershy to gasp and recoil. As he hesitated, Ash clenched his eyes tightly and grit his teeth. _Stop hesitating!_ _You're suppose to hurt, destroy and kill! It's what you are! _he screamed in his head. Giving out a loud cry, he swung his hoof intending to strike her across her muzzle.

His hoof suddenly collided with something else, something that felt like a pony's foreleg. "Hey, back off!" a loud, somewhat squeaky voice shouted defiantly at his face. "She's trying to help you, you idiot! Why the hell can't you-"

Ash opened his eyes immediately seeing the angry magenta ones of Rainbow. She was so ready to kick his flank all the way to Ponyville and back, but all her bravado vanished upon looking at those golden eyes of his. Ash unleashed the full power of his Glare on her, replacing her courage and determination with fear and panic.

Rainbow choked out a yelp before deploying her wings and dashing back to the tree she flew out of. "Rainbow!" Twilight shouted leaving her hiding place to check on her friend. The blue pegasus was found sitting on a branch covered in the blanket she brought while shivering in fright.

Rainbow's other friends ran up to the tree to check on her. Ash looked startled at the sight of all those ponies hiding in the shadows. "Ash, wait. I can explain." Fluttershy begged.

But Ash didn't want to hear it. He had been through enough that morning and just wanted to get away from her as fast as he could. He quickly turned and spread his wings ready to fly. As he leaped into the air, Twilight spotted him and hurriedly galloped into the clearing.

"Oh no you don't." Unwilling to let their only lead go, she lit up her horn, and a lavender glow enveloped Ash's tail. He flapped his wings, but Twilight pulled him back. He wasn't going anywhere. As he continued to struggle against her magic, Twilight approached him.

"Listen Ash..." she began as the grey pegasus fought against her hold on him. "We don't want to hurt you. We just want to ask you about-"

Ash suddenly whipped his head towards her. The ground in front of Twilight suddenly exploded, knocking her off her hooves. Everypony else turned towards the clearing upon hearing it and saw Twilight hit the ground several feet away from where she was standing.

With her being down, the grip on Ash's tail vanished and he landed on his hooves. He turned around and saw the epicenter of the explosion now a large, black circle of singed grass, dirt and pebbles. Upon seeing it and the fallen mare before her, he bowed his head and started trembling as thoughts raced across his head.

"Twilight!" Fluttershy quickly bounded towards her fallen friend. Twilight coughed and slowly opened her eyes and surveyed herself. She was shaken and covered in some ash, but was otherwise unharmed. She slowly stood up.

"What...what in the world just happened?!" she exclaimed.

There wasn't anything around to cause an explosion of that magnitude. She and her friends then caught sight of the grey pegasus colt trembling before them, his head bowed his mouth breathing deeply.

"...I am The Flames of Cruelty..."

He raised his head, and everypony watched as his golden eyes suddenly turned scarlet. "I'll h-hurt...I'll kill...I'll burn you all!"

He swung his head, and as he did, every tree he laid eyes on suddenly burst into flames. The mares hiding near them screamed with fright as they galloped away into the clearing. Rainbow jumped out of the tree she was hiding in, but an explosion in front of her caught her by surprise. It send her tumbling towards the ground where she crashed rather painfully.

Ash screamed and created an explosion in their midst the force of which scattered them across the clearing. Fluttershy crashed into a burning tree and slid down. She coughed as she choked on the smoke that was clouding the area. She weakly opened her eyes and saw Ash panting and shaking, his coat blending with the smoke.

All she could see were flames, on the trees, in the bushes, on the grass, everywhere. All she could hear was the crackle of the fire as it consumed tree after tree. The smoke was blinding as well as choking. She could barely make out her friends in the smoke, but they had to be somewhere. Coughing a little, she crawled across the ground careful to not make any noise. However, a burning branch had broken off from a tree and landed beside her, leading her to gasp and flinch.

Ash must've heard her because he suddenly turned in her direction. As he cried out, Fluttershy covered her head as the ground beside her exploded. She was showered with dirt but was otherwise unharmed. She looked ahead and saw a shape lying on the ground several feet. Still staying as quiet as possible, she crawled towards the shape hoping that her friends was alright.

A pink hoof eventually came into sight. Fluttershy rushed over and shook it's owner's shoulder. "Pinkie...Wake up please..."

A low groan came from her mouth as Pinkie raised her head. "Oww...my head's all spiny..."

"Shh Pinkie. Don't make any noise." Fluttershy begged.

She looked over to Ash who was trembling and breathing deeply. His eyes were just as they were when he smashed her gift, wide with horror and fear. A bolt of purple magic sudden struck him and knocked him several feet back. Fluttershy looked around and saw a purple light shining from within the smoke. "Pinkie, this way." she whispered leading the way.

As they neared, the light sent out a pulse of magic, blowing the smoke away as it did. With the surrounding now clear of smoke, Fluttershy saw Twilight , her horn aglow with magic. She was covered in soot from all the explosions but was still fully functional. Nearby, Applejack was coughing and using her hat to waft away some smoke as she dug her head under Rarity as she helped her up. The white unicorn managed to get up, took one good look at her ruined mane and fainted right away.

A loud battle cry shouted as Rainbow flew towards Ash who was just getting up. "Rainbow, wait!" Twilight cried out, but her friend ignored her. Still trembling and wide-eyed, Ash created an explosion, but Rainbow managed to swerve around it. Thinking fast, Ash kept his gaze down and swung his head in an arc, creating a wall of fire that halted Rainbow's advance and giving him enough time to knock her back with an explosion.

Rainbow tried flying back, but felt her tail being pulled. She looked back and saw it enveloped with lavender magic. "Forget it Dash; we have to get out of here!" Twilight cried out. Another explosion interrupted her next words.

_Do it!_ Ash blew a nearby tree to smithereens. _Hurt!_ Another one shook the air. _Kill!_ An explosion near the group made a few of them scream. _Destroy!_ He could imagine their terrified faces. _This is what I am! This is all I know! I'm vile! I'm evil! I'm horrible! I'm cruel! I'm Cruelty itself!_

His trembling became more intense and his breathing became more ragged. Twilight noticed this and hastily yanked Rainbow near her. Once she was near, she lit up her horn and surrounded herself and her friends with a shimmering lavender barrier which also protected them from the heat. His mind filled with thoughts of death and destruction, Ash drew in a ragged breath, reared on his hind legs, screamed and stomped as hard as he could.

_Do what you do best! Kill! Destroy! Hurt!_

The air around the barrier exploded violently. It shimmered for a brief moment, but Twilight, gritting her teeth, managed to keep it intact. Not finished, Ash bombarded the barrier with explosion after explosion; they seemed to have no end. Fluttershy huddled up close to Applejack who covered her face with her Stetson. Rarity woke up in time to see the explosions, grabbed Applejack and held on for dear life. Pinkie and dug her head in the ground like an ostrich. Pretty soon, cracks began to race across the shield.

"Twilight, do something!" Rainbow's shout was barely audible over the repeated explosions.

Twilight knew that her barrier was only a few moments away from being shattered completely. She didn't have any idea on how to stop him; Ash was just too powerful for them to handle. His power was fierce and incredible, just like Solstice and his brothers.

Just like Solstice and his brothers...

_That's it!_ she thought.

Hoping that this would work, Twilight lit up her horn. A lavender sphere appeared at the tip and quickly grew in size. Swinging her head in a downwards arc, the sphere slammed against the singed ground. She and the others felt the ground shudder a little upon impact. Twilight quickly made another sphere, this time slightly bigger than the first and slammed it downwards as well.

The ground shuddered even more than the first time. After the third time Twilight repeated her actions, the explosions stopped for a few seconds. Fluttershy saw Ash's eyes closed tightly, his teeth gritted as if he was in pain. He shook his head and continued to hammer away at the barrier with explosions. Twilight inhaled deeply and put all her magic into her horn, creating a sphere far larger than any she had created and slammed it against the ground.

The shuddering created wasn't as powerful as the earthquake's but was still very impressive. The explosions suddenly ceased, but Twilight kept her barrier up just in case. "It's workin' Twi'!" Applejack cried out pointing ahead of them Twilight looked in that direction and saw Ash frozen in place. Fearing another explosion, she slammed another massive sphere into the ground, creating a second mini earthquake.

As the ground shook, Ash lost all sense of his surroundings; the flames, smoke, heat and other ponies barely registered. The only thing that did was the violent shuddering of the ground. As his breath quickened at an alarming pace. He felt himself violently thrust into the past, to Quinestown, his first home.

As his breaths quickened even further, Twilight slammed another sphere into the ground. The shuddering vanquished all other thoughts and filled his head with memories, painful memories-the ground shuddering even more violently than it was now, buildings crumbling and bursting into flames, ponies running for their lives before meeting their own demise, their screams of fright filling the air.

And Light...painful Light...burning like an unquenchable inferno...consuming his very being...bringing searing agony unlike anything else...was everywhere.

"Stop!"

Twilight, who was about to bring down another sphere, obeyed mostly out of the shock of hearing who it was that shouted. She and her friends looked at they shy friend who, to their surprise, had tears out of the corner of her eyes. "Stop it...please...Just...Just look at him..."

Ash, the pony who was just about to blow them all to pieces, was on his side, his golden eyes wide with horror. His head filled with the memories of long ago, his entire body jerked and convulsed violently as he began hyperventilating. They could barely recognize him as the violent, screaming, unstable colt he was just a few moments ago. He actually looked pitiable.

As the flames around them raged on, Twilight lowered her barrier. Unimpeded, Fluttershy raced across the clearing to the shuddering pegasus before them. He was mean, he was horrible to all of them, but she refused to believe that that was all he knew. She saw it in his eyes; beneath the anger and hate they showed was a pony screaming for help. The sight broke her heart.

Ash was still trapped in his memories, but managed to see Fluttershy racing towards him, her eyes filled with worry. He knew that, as the Element of Kindness, she'd comfort him; he could picture her holding him, trembling like crazy, in her arms and stroking his mane whispering words of comfort. His insides were suddenly overcome by a soothing, calming sensation brought about by the idea. He would look into those cyan eyes and truly believe that everything would be-

_No...No...NO! NO! NO!_

The ground in front of Fluttershy exploded suddenly. She screamed and stopped before she could run into the blast range. When the smoke and dust finally cleared, Ash was gone. She looked up and saw him in the air, flying as fast as he could.

"Ash!" she cried out, but he was already too far away. Feeling defeated, she sat down, bowed, sniffed a little and wiped a tear away from the corner of her eye. "Ash..."

Twilight felt sorry for her friend. Nothing came out of his whole encounter except knowing that Ash was connected to the brothers and seeing her Fluttershy crushed. "The poor thing..." she heard Rarity say behind her.

She sighed. "Let's...let's get out of here. Rainbow, go on ahead and get as many rain clouds as you can. Some of the other pegasi must've noticed all this already."

Rainbow nodded and took one last look at her depressed friend before leaving. Twilight approached Fluttershy and sat next to her. "I'm sorry things turned out this way Fluttershy."

It took a while for her to answer. "It's fine Twilight...This isn't your fault. Let's...let's just go home..."

A few moments later, Fluttershy found Pinkie next to her. Before she could say anything, two bubblegum hooves pulled her into a hug. While she was grateful for the gesture, her thoughts were still on the poor boy who left. She had known for a long time just how much darkness laid in his heart, but she never expected...this. As was practically drowning in his anger and hate.

Was he really beyond help?

* * *

Still hyperventilating, Ash flew as fast as he could through the Everfree Forest crashing through twigs and branches as he did. Images of Fluttershy and of what he was about to do to her and her friends continued to flash through his mind. He was still trembling and shaking, so much so that he was surprised that he was still able to fly albeit not very well.

A long time later, he finally arrived at the castle deep within the forest. Without even slowing down, Ash crashed through the front door and crashed into the wall across it. Pain shooting throughout his body, he slid to the ground where he continued to tremble and hyperventilate.

"A...Ash?!" A familiar voice cried out in shock. The trembling pegasus recognized it as Ironhead's voice. "S-Sweet Celestia, what happened to you?! We saw the smoke and-and freaked out when-"

Ash didn't want to hear any of it. He scrambled to his feet and bolted away ignoring his brother's cries to wait. Galloping as fast as he could, he went up a corner and dashed up a set of stairs. Just as he turned to head up another set of stairs, he collided into something. He was once again knocked to the ground feeling slightly dazed.

"Ash?" The pegasus looked up and saw the dark rose eyes of his brother Psych looking at him surprised and worried. "W-wait!" Psych cried out as his brother brushed past him and flew up the stairs. Deeply concerned, for him, Psych followed suit.

Ash could unfortunately fly faster than his earth pony brother could gallop. Two more flights of stairs later, Ash made a beeline for his room. Once there, he pulled open the door and hurled himself inside before slamming it shut. Psych arrived a split second later. "Ash?" He tried the knob, but it was locked. "Ash, what happened?!" he cried out hammering on the door. "Ash!"

Inside his room, Ash had finally stopped trembling and hyperventilating, but his mind was still in disarray. His back against the door, he clutched his head tightly and started crying out if he were in serious pain. The images...Fluttershy...her terrified friends...the burning clearing...Quinestown...everything he'd just done...they all rapidly coursed through his head. Standing on his hind legs, he got up started staggering around the room as his cries increased in volume.

_I'm vile. I'm evil. I'm horrible. I'm cruel. Hurt...Kill...Destroy...Hurt ponies who just want to talk...Destroy ponies who tried to help him...Kill ponies who try to show me kindness...My cruelty has no end...This...This is all I know...I can't do anything else...This is what I am...This is what I will always be..._

Images of Fluttershy, of Psych, of Scar, Ironhead, Blues, Solstice and Equinox came to his mind. "Why...Why do you keep doing this to me?!" he screamed as tears poured down his face. He just didn't understand any of it; why couldn't any of them just hate him like the rest of the world does and should. To him, it made no sense.

"You...you all care about me...but I can't...and never will feel the same towards any of you! I'm incapable of love, of care, of kindness! I'm Cruelty itself! The world hates me...So why...Why do you still care...Why do I have brothers...a dad...a family...Why do I have ponies who care about me...Why don't any of you see me for what I really am..." He sunk to his knees this time clutching his face. "Why...Why...Why..."

"WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

If it weren't for the virtually soundproof walls, the whole house would've heard Ash screaming his head off.


	22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22  
BROTHERS IN DISTRESS

About two hours after Ash suddenly showed up and locked himself in his room, Psych found himself pacing inside his own room filled with anxiety. Two rooms away, Ash was still inside his own room doing who know's what. Psych couldn't stay calm about all this.

He couldn't stop feeling worried for his brother. Sighing, he grabbed a book from a stack next to his bed. They were all written by somepony called Jung; Psych was a real fan of the things he'd written, but even as he leafed through his works, he still couldn't take his mind off Ash.

Sighing again, he toss the book back in the pile and laid on his bed wondering when Ash would finally come out of his room. Knowing his brother, it would probably take hours judging by how upset he looked when he spotted him. Having to wait that long to find out what was wrong made Psych very frustrated.

He really was worried sick about him. When he couldn't find Ash that morning, he just assumed that he had gone to burn leaves like he usually did. Like the rest of them, he freaked out upon seeing the thick black smoke coming from far off into the forest; only Ash could've created a blaze that intense.

A quick glance on the clock told him that it was just a few minutes before they usually had lunch. Ash still wouldn't want to come out at that time. Sighing once again, Psych jumped off his bed and left his room. He went over to Ash's door and knocked on it a few times.

"Ash? Er...I don't know if you can hear me, but...it's lunchtime, and I'm certain you're hungry." No reply came. "Look...Just come out soon please?"

Psych waited for a whole minute for his brother to come out. When he didn't, Psych quietly left, his head bowed. He only looked up again when he entered the dining room where everything already set. He was all alone, but he knew the rest of them would be arriving. He sat down in his usual spot and waited with his head in his hoof.

About a minute later, a flash of teal light momentarily blinded him. "Psych...Hello. Will Ash be joining us?"

Uncovering his eyes, Psych snorted at him. "What does it look like? He's clearly upset about something; d'you honestly think that he would be fine by now?"

Solstice was surprised by his hostile tone. "I...I was just worried about him Psych; as are you."

Psych just scoffed and turned away. Solstice sighed gloomily now worried about two of his brothers. He took his seat at the table and waited patiently for the rest of the family to arrive. He looked over to his brother who had his head in his hoof facing away from him.

A few minutes later, Ironhead stepped in along with Scar and Blues. He stopped upon seeing his two brothers at the table. "Ash's still not coming out huh?" Neither one of them replied leading him to sigh and sit along with his worried brothers.

Equinox stepped in carrying a several plates filled with celery sandwiches with his magic. As he set them down, Psych reached over and plucked several sandwiches and tossed them onto two separate plates. Without saying a word, he took one plate in his mouth and balanced another on his back before leaving the startled ponies behind.

He headed back up the stairs and made his way to Ash's room. He put the plates he was carrying down and knocked on his brother's door. "Ash, it's me." he said hoping that he could hear him. "I've brought you lunch. You must be hungry now right? Ash?"

No response came from the room. Psych tried the door again only to find that it was still locked. Sighing, he went and sat against the wall next to the door and began eating alone. Unfortunately, he had very little appetite; worrying about Ash had put all other thoughts out of his head.

All alone and worried sick, Psych finished his sandwiches in silence. For a while, he just sat there, staring before him while a plate of sandwiches beside him remained untouched. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head feeling completely powerless to help Ash.

Hoof steps caused his ears to perk up. Pouting a little, he turned and saw Scar approaching him, a similar look of worry on his face. "Hey Psych...you OK? Ash still won't come out?" he asked upon seeing the uneaten food.

The earth pony didn't respond. "He'll come out. Don't you worry bro." Psych didn't feel reassured at all. "Did you get to talk to Ash when he got here? Did he say why he was all freaked out?" Scar asked.

Psych said nothing and faced the wall in front of him, sighing as he did. "So...How did it feel Treachery?" he asked.

"Huh? Well...I was pretty shocked when I heard about Ash, and I'm really worried now like-"

"I'm not referring to that." Psych interrupted turning to the pegasus. "I'm referring to you meeting you long-time crush Rainbow Dash. I've heard so many incredibly annoying things from you about her. I'm certain meeting her was something you've never anticipated. Tell me, was she everything you were expecting?"

Scar looked confused at Psych who wore a poker face. "I well...She was amazing." Scar found himself smiling. "I always knew she was a great flyer. But after meeting her...I found out she's an awesome flyer! Like, I've never seen anypony with skills like her. Plus, she cool, she's funny, she's a good friend, she's-"

"Loyal?" Scar had been rambling so much that he had failed to noticed the change in Psych's expression. His brother was now staring at him with the wide eyes and the twisted, sadistic, maniacal smile of a psychopath. "That's her Element correct? Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty..."

Psych could see Scar tense up and gulp. "Well...Yeah. I met her and she really does seem to show it." he replied nervously. "Please don't use your powers on me." he quickly begged.

Psych's smile widened a little more. "Oh I won't." _Just yet._ "Back to Rainbow, as the Element of Loyalty, shouldn't she value trust above anything else? You must agree to that right?"

"Y...Yeah..."

"Indeed she must. Imagine how crushed, how upset, how immeasurably furious she must be right now." He smiled wider at Scar's expression. "You befriended her didn't you? She seemed to have trusted you, yet in the end, you stayed true to yourself and stabbed her in the back."

"I...I didn't betray her." Scar protested. "She was just upset, and I didn't get a chance to explain."

"You chased her friend throughout Ponyville. You searched and demanded answers, answers that led to something she was so willing to defend. If she was upset, then she must've grown attached to you during your stay. Tell me, if I reversed the situation, say, she befriended you and suddenly assaulted Deceit or Greed or Magic and demanded to know where the rest of us were, wouldn't you feel betrayed?"

Tense and scared, Scar remained silent. "She shouldn't have trusted you. Nopony should trust you! You are Treachery itself for pony's sake! Sooner or later, you're gonna have to stab everypony in the back and watch them die! What pony in their right mind would put their faith in the very embodiment of betrayal?!"

The helpless pegasus backed up in fear. "I...We..."

"Don't give me that ridiculous we-have-a-choice-to-who-we-want-to-be crap; I get enough of that spewing out of Greed's mouth. I've said it a million times; WE! DON'T! HAVE IT! We'll forever be embodiments of the worst things the world has to offer! No matter what you do, what any of us do, it'll never change what we are deep down! Just look at what just happened in Ponyville!"

"You betrayed her, the one pony you adored oh so much! She trusted you! She thought you were true friend, a dependable pony whom she thought had her back, but you stabbed her in it! It's your nature to betray, to take such a precious bond forged between two hearts and then shatter it to countless pieces! Where was your ability to choose when you went after her friend huh? You could've found a way to do your job without betraying her, but look what you ended up doing! Don't you see it? Treachery is indeed all you are!"

"All the others put their trust in you; they love you and believe they can count on you knowing fully well what you are! What stupid, ignorant imbeciles they are! How much longer are you gonna keep your little charade up huh? When will you finally betray them? As quickly as you did Rainbow? When will you do what you are supposed to do huh? Tell me..."

Eyes wide and trembling, Scar couldn't find his voice. "Tell me!" Psych roared as he approached him. "TELL ME DAMMIT OR I'LL MAKE YOU!"

That was the last straw for Scar; Psych threatening to use his powers on him...he just couldn't stand it. Without even thinking, he expanded his wings and gave a powerful flap creating a massive gust that knocked Psych into the air. He tumbled around for a while before crashing on the floor several feet away.

"Psych!" Scar cried out as his brother tried getting up. "Psych I...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

The latter just growled and looked up, but Scar had already turned and flew away from him. As he stood, he watched the pegasus round a corner and disappear. Letting out an annoyed sigh, Psych dusted himself a little and looked around. The plate of sandwiches had been blown aside by the wind Scar created. Psych picked up the plate, the bread and the celery and took them to the kitchen.

He sighed once again as he set the plate down feeling a little bit better. His verbal assault on Scar had cheered him up a little despite not getting a chance to use his powers on him. It made him think a little less of Ash who was still in his room...doing who knows what...He bit his lip and made a decision.

"Oh Deceit!"

Later...

"No wonder you showed such confidence when your mission began; you were already prepared to lie your way through anything you encounter. Isn't that one of your powers? The ability to lie so quickly without any outward signs? Even I can't even tell whether you're lying or not! Only Deceit itself can bypass my talents!"

"How many lies have you told?! How many times did you spew your lies right in her face or in anypony's face?! Justify it all you want, but the fact remains; you lied to her, a pony who embodies the very trait of honesty and openness! The mare gave you a job, she gave you hospitality and you reward her kindness with such filth! Look what your lies have done; this mare probably despises you now!"

"Every word, every single word that comes out of that mouth of yours is nothing but filth! They're a facade; as a matter of fact, this whole thing I'm looking at right now is just as fake! You put up this mask of a strong pony that can guide you through any crisis, but anypony you lead would only meet their own demise! You are a liar that spews only filth and always will be!"

With an incredibly loud crashing sound, Ironhead slammed the door to his room shut so hard, it was almost in danger of breaking. Psych grinned and sighed feeling much happier now. He trotted along until he came upon Ash's door again which still remained locked.

Psych grinned. Both Ironhead and Scar had one issue they had in common-trust. Deceit and Treachery go hand in hand with one another. They both dealt with having trust placed upon them and then destroying it in some way. The brothers had never had issues regarding trust, but the idea that they held something that destroys it always bothered them. That, plus knowing that they bonded with the Elements of Harmony, gave Psych enough information to make them tremble before him. It was still too bad he didn't get to use his powers on them; that'd make things way more interesting.

He then did some thinking. Solstice was the last pony to go to Ponyville and chase that mare around; surely he'd have some weakness he could exploit. Then again...Psych couldn't. The last time Psych had tried doing anything to tear the unicorn to pieces...thing got very messy. Nopony was seriously hurt, but Psych knew he couldn't do it again.

"Hey Greed!"

* * *

Later that night, Psych ate his bowl of warm, delicious soup acting as if he hadn't tormented three of the ponies at the table earlier that same day. Scar, Ironhead and Blues all kept trembling slightly as they tried to finish their meal. The sight made Psych smile. _I should seriously get a camera._

Equinox and Solstice, the only two at the table who weren't verbally assaulted that day, kept looking at Psych and the empty seat beside him. Ash had failed to show up again making everypony worry even more. Every now and then, Psych would look at the seat beside him too and share their worries. He had been holed up in his room the whole day; surely, he'd have to com out some time.

Psych was the first to finish his meal. Without a single word to the other ponies in the room, he left and headed upstairs to where their rooms were. He passed his own room and went for the door to his brother's. "Ash, it's me." he said while knocking. "C'mon, it's been hours since you've arrive. You've got to come out."

More silence followed. Psych didn't know if Ash couldn't hear him or he was just too upset to respond. "Ash...come out...please..." he begged. "You don't know how worried I am about you...Please..." He found himself hammering on the door. "Please come out...Ash...Ash!"

Despite his pleas, Ash didn't emerge from his room. Gritting his teeth, Psych galloped away as fast as he could and made his way to the top floor, where Equinox's study was located. Once there, he barged through the front door and made his way to the alicorn's desk. After pulling open several drawers, he finally found the one that contained the keys to every room in the castle.

Being arranged by floor, Psych grabbed the key ring for their rooms with his mouth and galloped away, the keys jingling as he did. He went down the stairs thankfully passing nopony as he did and skidded to a halt before Ash's door. He dropped that keys and fumbled with them a little before finally locating the one for the room in front of him. He hurriedly placed it in the lock, turned and, to his relief, hear the lock click open. Without a moment's hesitation he opened the door.

"Ash!"

The room was in complete disarray. The bed was pulled to one side, and the mattress on it was flipped over. Pillows out of their cases were strewn throughout the floor. The bedside table was overturned and several feet away from where it was supposed to be. The closet which held what little clothing the room's owner had was flung open, its contents also scattered about around the room. Stunned, Psych searched the room desperate to find his only family.

With a jolt, Psych finally spotted him. Ash was in the far right corner of the room lying on his side and clutching his legs close to his body which was trembled every few seconds. His eyes were closed tightly with a hint of wetness around the, and his mouth winced as if he was in serious pain. The sight was just too much for the maroon earth pony who galloped over to his brother.

"Ash!" Psych began, but upon nearing him, he froze in place. Wide eyed with shock and his jaw hanging, he stared at Ash only noticing what was wrong now that he was up close.

Bruises. Ash's entire body was covered in dark, ugly bruises that varied in size. His face particularly had two under his eyes, one across his right cheek and a very large one on his forehead. The sight of him in that beaten state broke Psych's heart.

_He didn't have those when he arrived...And nopony else entered so..._

"Oh Ash..."

Without hesitating, he went over and scooped his brother up in his arms careful to avoid the bruises. Ash trembled upon feeling another pony touch him, but he didn't have the strength to fight it off. Psych sat against the wall clutching the battered Ash close to his chest and felt tears come to his eyes. Hugging his brother, Psych began to cry rocking back and forth, his tears falling on his brother's bruises.

Feeling the dampness on his body caused Ash to stir, but Psych refused to let him go. He could feel it, Psych's warmth...his sorrow, his care..._Let go of me!_ Ash screamed in his head because he didn't have the strength to do it to the pony clutching him. _What did I ever do to deserve your care?!_

Psych sniffed and held his brother tighter while stroking his back."Ash...Ash, listen to me." Psych drew a shaky breath as Ash froze. "I don't care what you are...I accept you...I accept you...I'm your brother...I accept you and I always will..."

"Why...?" Ash's voice was hoarse and choked; his eyes began to tear up once again. "I hurt everypony...you...the others...Fluttershy..."

_Fluttershy?_ Psych recalled that name as one of the Elements of Harmony. Did they have anything to do with what happened earlier? Before he could say anything else, Ash continued. "I'll hurt you...One day...I will...You...You should stay away from me...get away from me...Leave me alone..."

"Never..." Psych felt more tears come to his eyes. He clenched them as he held his brother tighter. "I'll never leave you Ash...I'll never abandon you...I don't care if you hurt me or anypony else...You're a part of this world...we both are...I'll never reject you..."

Ash trembled and drew a shuddering breath. "Why...W-why...I'm Cruelty itself...The world will always hate me...I'll always hurt others..."

"You're not alone in this Ash." Psych said with a sob. "I'm Grief itself. I, like you, am hated by the world, and I too live to inflict pain upon others...But you...you accepted me Ash...You...are the only pony who has ever done that...Hurt me all you want...I don't care...because I will never hate you...I will _never _reject you..."

Ash clenched his eyes shut tightly as tears continued to pour. He could once again feel just how much Psych cared about him. "I don't deserve you...I...I'm broken...I'm so broken..."

His hooves trembling, Psych gripped his brother tighter. For a long time, everything was silent save for the sound of the two brothers crying their hearts out.

* * *

It took around five minutes for Psych to fix everything in the room. Once it was tidy, he bent and hoisted his crying brother on his back. Slowly, he placed his Ash on his bed careful to avoid touching his bruises. Psych tucked his pillow and drew the blanket over him. Still crying a little, Psych gave Ash a final hug before leaving the room, making sure to lock the door in the process.

The tears still refused to stop. Clenching his eyes tightly, Psych could never get that image of a battered Ash out of his mind. His brother's words came to him once again.

_...I'm broken...I'm so broken..._

"I'm broken too..." Psych muttered. He wasn't going to deny it. Call him what you want, a monster, a maniac, a psychopath, but know that he would know that you were telling the truth. He admitted it; he was a maniac, an insane, sadistic monster who just loves to see others in pain.

Anger and hate coursed through his body reaching a breaking point. The world had done this to him; it had turned him into the monster he was. They rejected and despised him even though he was just being what he was-the embodiment of Grief itself, a part of the world that nopony could ever vanquish. But their hate was nothing compared to his hate. He would never forgive those who rejected him, those who hated him, those who despised another irrefutable truth of the world...

He hated them, all of them, every single one of them, especially a certain six ponies.

"...Elements of Harmony...I will break you all..."

Trembling with fury, Psych opened his tear-soaked eyes now searing with rage and glowing with an unnatural light.

* * *

In the next chapter, I'll finally reveal Psych's power. Let's just say...It's making me consider changing this fic's rating to M.


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23  
THE TERROR OF PSYCH PART 1

Rarity let out a relaxed sigh as her mane was doused with shampoo, conditioner and dozens of other hair-cleansing products. She let out another one as soft, blue hooves massaged her scalp while another pair filled her hoof. Lighting up her horn, she levitated a grape from a nearby fruit bowl and popped into her mouth.

"My goodness Rarity; what happened to your mane?" Lotus asked cleaning the dirt and grime out of the purple strands. "All this dust and ash; were you in that forest fire yesterday?"

"Well I...do not wish to talk about it." Rarity replied simply. Lotus and Aloe were pro's when it came to spreading gossip around Ponyville, and she didn't want to get mixed up with the whole incident.

"You six are always involved in something." Aloe commented brushing Rarity's hoof. "Every week, one or all of you get into some kind of trouble. At least you keep things interesting in town."

"I assure you Aloe; none of us caused whatever happened yesterday." Rarity told her. Both spa ponies looked at each other still a little unconvinced before going back to work on Rarity.

Rarity was glad to be in their hooves. Their little encounter with Ash the previous day ended with her getting dirt, smoke, dust and ash all over her mane and coat. Once she arrived home, she immediately spent the rest of the day cleaning up every square inch of her. When she thought that still wasn't enough, she dropped in on Aloe and Lotus the next day.

After being scrubbed down fully by the two earth ponies and looking stylish once again, she was planning on dropping by Fluttershy's place to check on her. _The poor thing looked so distraught the yesterday. I do hope she feeling better today..._

For the next hour or so, the spa ponies worked their magic on one of their best and most frequent customers. Once they were finished, Rarity got off her chair and admired herself in a mirror. She looked absolutely dazzling, much better than she did an hour earlier.

"Aloe, Lotus, you've done it again." she said to the two earth ponies smiling proudly. "How could I ever repay you both for making me beautiful once again?"

"With the usual Rarity." Aloe answered sticking her hoof out. Rarity giggled a little at her own mistake before rummaging through her saddle bags and pulling out a pouch of bits. Lotus took it and counted them, making sure they were enough. "Have a nice day Rarity."

Rarity nodded left the spa passing by the next customer, a deep green earth pony with a dark red mane and brown eyes and a Cutie-Mark consisting of a trio of cabbages who was reading a newspaper in the waiting area. She failed to notice his eyes glazing over her as she passed as well as the grin. Setting the newspaper, he got up and followed Rarity out of the spa.

Unaware that she was being followed, Rarity continued on. He stalking had been keeping track of her and her friends for weeks and knew how to do so. He made sure to keep his distance, around 20 feet from her, and just acted like any normal citizen of Ponyville.

Still ignorant, Rarity thought that Fluttershy would love something from Sugarcube Corner; blueberry tarts were her favorite. Making a decision, she made her way to the sweets shop which was still located some distance away from the spa.

As she rounded a corner, she spotted a pony who seemed to stand out of the others, a maroon earth pony colt with a white and light grey mane. Said pony, upon noticing her, quickly trotted up to her. "Hey, your name's Rarity right?" Psych asked.

"Why...why yes I am." Rarity replied with a flourish of her mane thinking him to be a potential customer.

Psych smiled. "Oh, that was quick." he said, and his eyes began to glow with a strange dark-rose light.

Before Rarity could process what was happening, a shooting pain unlike any other suddenly struck her back left knee causing her to scream out and bolt upright. She then fell on her back and continued to scream. She thrashed about, but found herself unable to move the leg where the burning pain came from. Frightened beyond measure, she looked and nearly threw up.

Sticking out of her leg, going past her bone and splattering her blood everywhere, was a long, black, metallic tendril with sharp edges and separated into many segments. At the end of it was a large five-fingered hand with sinister-looking claws. Right next to the claw was Psych, smiling with the wide grin of a psychopath; he was enjoying this.

With Psych grinning at her, the claw flexed itself before burrowing into Rarity's right hind leg just above the knee splattering even more of her blood around. More agonizing pain shot through her body as she screamed until her throat burned. Unfortunately, Psych wasn't finished with her yet; the claw reared back and drove itself through her body right where her heart was just like a needle threading its way through cloth.

Right before impalement, Rarity was somehow glad that it was about to be over. But as the claw burst into her chest, the only thing that came to her was more agonizing pain. Death had not come to end her suffering once and for all, but why? Surely she should've died from a blow like that. Why was the pain prolonged far after she was supposed to be dead.

She screamed and thrashed, her forelegs swinging about, but Psych just stood there smiling at her like a mad pony, his eyes still glowing. Rarity felt the earth shudder a little and then screamed as something suddenly grabbed the back of her head; the claw had burst out of the ground and clutched her skull.

Her body covered in blood, Rarity found herself unable to scream anymore and just felt every inch of her body scream out instead. She wanted the pain to end even if it meant death. The claw began to intensify its grip; Rarity could feel the fractures racing across her skull. The claw raised her head allowing her to look into the heartless eyes of her tormentor.

"P...Please...Please...Please!" she begged as tears began to form.

Upon seeing the tears leaking out from her face, dropping to the ground and mixing with the slowly expanding pool of her blood, Psych raised his eyebrows. He pouted and sat on his hunches, his face scrunched up as if he was in deep thought. Still in horrible pain, Rarity watched him put his hoof on his chin as he thought about what to do. Finally he looked right at her once again.

"Hmm...nah."

The tips of the claw began to whir and spin like drills. The claws retracted briefly before stabbing into Rarity's head and burrowing into her skull. As Rarity screamed from having the insides of her skull being burrowed out, short spikes suddenly popped out throughout the length of the tendril. The segments began to spin around, some clockwise and the other counter-clockwise. Whichever way they spun, their spikes dug into Rarity's innards intensifying her agony even more.

As her screams grew louder and her thrashing more violent, Psych chuckled. Rarity's pain was as unbearable to her as it was pleasing to him. She couldn't believe such pain existed before. She couldn't believe that she was still alive enough to experience such a thing without dying. When would it end? When would Psych finally be satisfied enough to stop this?

Apparently not anytime soon. "Hmm...Surely I can top this." he muttered to himself wondering how to make Rarity suffer even more. Ignoring her screaming, an idea popped into his head. "I know-genetically altered fire ants!"

Almost immediately, Rarity fell thousands of small creatures swarming all over her. Her vision was suddenly filled with thousands of large, red ants armed with massive black pincers. She swung her hooves wildly, but they stayed on her and covered her entire body. As the drilling continued, they burrowed themselves into her.

They entered her eyes, her ears, her nose, her mouth, her skin, everywhere. Rarity could feel the swarm crawling inside of her gnawing away at her flesh, bones and organs. Unable to see anything but ants, Rarity thrashed and thrashed and kicked and screamed at the pain that was engulfing her. It was just unbearably maddening. She felt like she was going to go insane.

As for Psych, he just laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and-

"Hmm?"

He had been so busy torturing Rarity that he has failed to notice something else. He concentrated, and Rarity's form shimmered out of existence and was replaced by another pony-shaped mound of fire ants thrashing and screaming like crazy. This time however, the screaming was that of a stallion's. The ants shifted a little revealing an amber coated earth pony, a trio of horse shoes on his flank.

Like Rarity, he was also had a claw drilling into his head and millions of ants gnawing on his insides. His screams also brought a smile to Psych's face. The screaming pony vanished and was replaced by a golden coated, cyan maned pegasus mare screaming her head off. Then in her place came another mare, a unicorn this time with a blue coat, a grey and blue mane and an hourglass on her flank.

Aside from Rarity and the next three ponies, Psych could sense around five more ponies trashing and screaming their heads off as ants devoured them internally and a claw burrowed out their skull. He always loved using his powers on other ponies, and it had been a long time since he last used them. Having more fun than he ever had long time, Psych laughed, and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed...

* * *

"Wh-what the hell?!"

The pony spying on Rarity, as well as a large crowd, stared with his jaw hanging at the scene before him. Some strange colt had walked up to Rarity, and a few seconds later, his eyes began glowing, and Rarity and several others collapsed and started screaming and thrashing. For some reason, they didn't seem to be able to move their hind legs as if some unseen thing was holding them in place. The maroon colt she was talking to was the only one not screaming but was instead laughing like an insane pony. Psych then suddenly grinned and raised his head.

The pony instinctively jumped behind a nearby tree. As he slowly rose to his hooves, the screaming suddenly became louder; he quickly turned around and gasped as he saw everypony else in the crowd on the ground screaming and thrashing like crazy. He pressed his back against the tree and panicked. Whatever was happening, he seemed to be safe there.

He opened his mouth to cry for help, maybe backup even, but hastily shut his trap. What if that pony had heard him and went up and did the same to him? He was trapped there until...who knew when? Just when all seemed lost, a familiar pony appeared in the distance.

"What in tarnation?!"

Dumbstruck, Applejack stared at the street full of ponies screaming and thrashing in agony. A crowd had joined her in watching the shocking scene before them. A particular stallion in the crowd gasped as he spotted a familiar mare in serious pain two ponies away-his marefriend. He quickly galloped over to her; he opened his mouth to call her name, but as soon as he reached the first pony, he suddenly collapsed and started yelling his head off like the other ponies.

The crowd screamed and ran away. Applejack remained in place and saw something in the distance, a maroon earth pony with glowing dark-rose eyes laughing maniacally in the midst of the torture session. Right in front of him was a familiar unicorn thrashing about.

"Rarity!" Applejack cried out, but her friend didn't respond. She readied herself to gallop to her aid but stopped remembered what had happened to that other pony. "Twilight!" she cried out ready to fetch her friend, but the ponies' screaming stopped her in her tracks. If she left them alone, who knew what would happen?

"Looks like it's up ta me then." she said fixing up her hat.

First step: get over to the maroon pony without screaming her head off; much easier said than done. As she looked around for an idea, she spotted the green earth pony hiding behind a tree afraid to come out. Unlike the other ponies around him, he didn't seem to be in any pain at all. She had to get him out of there first. Looking around she grabbed an empty crate and bucked it over to him.

"Hide inside an' git yerself outta there!" she yelled out.

Still a little scared, the pony gingerly nodded and hid under the crate covering his body completely. Tensing up, he gulped and stepped onto the street. To his and Applejack's surprise, he didn't end up screaming like the other pony did. "Good! Now try ta git over here!" she shouted. The pony followed the sound of her voice and slowly made his way towards her.

Just the, Psych raised his head while laughing. "Hold it!" Applejack shouted, and the pony obeyed. She tensed up, but for some reason, Psych didn't take notice of the crate in the middle of the street. "OK. Keep walkin'!"

The pony resumed walking; the farmer kept her eye on Psych who failed to notice a crate moving on its own despite it being within sight. The pony passed several screaming and thrashing ponies before finally reaching Applejack who pulled the crate off him. "Thanks." he said before galloping away as fast as he could. Applejack turned her attention to the crate. It had somehow protected him from whatever was going on.

Readying herself, she got under the crate. It was pitch black inside, and she couldn't see in front of her, but she knew the maroon pony was right ahead of her. "Here goes nothin'!" she yelled as she galloped straight ahead. She stumbled a little upon treading upon a few ponies, but maintained her speed. His eyes glowing, Psych was looking right at the quickly approaching crate but failed to respond to it. It finally registered however when he felt something suddenly collide with him.

The collision had sent him flying, the glow in his eyes vanishing upon impact. He tumbled around a little before finally stopping. The crate had gone with him as well and landed right on top of him, concealing him completely. With him down, Applejack noticed that the screaming and thrashing around her had stopped. The ponies were instead shivering and whimpering with fright. She looked to the side and saw her unicorn friend doing just that.

"Rarity!" She quickly picked her up. "Y'all right sugarcube? What the hay's goin' on here?"

Rarity was still shaken by the things she saw and felt. The images of the claw and ants still flooded her head. "Th-th-th-c-claw and-ants-and-"

_Claw? Ants?_ Applejack looked around and spotted none of those things in sight. Rarity clutched her orange hoof and held on so tight it hurt. "So much-It-it hurt-so-so-m-much-"

"Don't worry sugar; I'll get ya outta here." A shifting inside the nearby crate told her to hurry up. She hurriedly scooped the trembling unicorn on her back and galloped off the street. She deposited her behind a building and ran back to fetch the other ponies despite Rarity's pleas, but as soon as she arrived, Psych burst out from under the crate.

He looked around and instantly spotted Applejack who tensed up. "Well isn't this a treat? I've found both Generosity and Honesty, and it isn't even lunchtime yet." he said with an evil sneer.

Applejack was surprised to know that he knew who they were. "Just wait one apple-pickin' minute here, yer with Ironhead and the rest of 'em ain't ya?!"

"Hmm...I suppose you can say that." Psych replied, his smile turning into a snarl. "However, I've no interest in your Elements; I'm here to make you pay!"

He eyes glowed once more with dark rose light. A pair of large wolves, larger than an average timberwolf, with black fur, glowing yellow eyes and razor sharp teeth suddenly appeared snarling beside him. Psych raised a hoof and pointed at the mare before him. "Tear her to pieces!"

Their mouths dripping with saliva, the wolves lunged at her. Applejack jumped to the side as one passed her, but the second one lunged at her fangs bared. It sank its teeth into her right foreleg causing her to cry out in pain. The wolf bit down harder; Applejack felt the bones in that leg break apart. Not finished yet, the wolf yanked her leg away; Applejack felt it in danger of being torn off completely.

Psych's maniacal laughter rang in her ears. Panicking a little, she heard the other wolf head her way. Thinking fast, she pulled up her hind legs and gave it good buck right across its muzzle. The sound of the wolf whining in pain stopped Psych's laughter. With the other wolf down, Applejack turned her attention to the first one who pulled back and tore half her leg completely off.

Applejack screamed louder than she ever did before. She stumbled trying to balance on three legs and looked at her leg and nearly fainted. Blood was pouring out of it like a fountain, and a piece of her bone stuck out. The pain coming from it clouded her mind, but she managed to take notice of the wolf spitting her leg out and approaching her hungry for more.

Pissed off, Applejack stood her ground. "C'mon! I'm still standin' here!" she taunted despite the burning pain in her leg. The wolf barked before lunging at her. Applejack readied herself, spun on her one good leg and bucked the wolf right in the chest. This sent the wolf flying straight towards Psych whom the wolf crashed into painfully.

As soon as the wolf hit Psych, it just vanished into thin air, but that wasn't the only thing. The pain in her leg had vanished just as quickly. Applejack checked and, to her surprise, saw that her leg was perfectly intact, not a scratch on it. She looked up and saw Psych who seemed to have stumbled from the impact. He opened his eyes which were no longer glowing.

"Wh-what the hay was that?!" she exclaimed.

After fully recovering, Psych glared at her. "I've underestimated your abilities Honesty. It appears that you can do more than just stand for the truth; you also have the strength to enforce it. Not many ponies can throw off my illusions so simply."

"Illusions? What that what those wolves were? Is that what ya did to these here ponies?!" she demanded.

Psych chuckled. "Indeed. None of the things I create are real. However, they look, seem and feel real. That's why you still feel the pain I cause. And what enjoyable pain it was! Had I kept what I was doing, had I increased the pain they were experiencing even more...Let's just say your friend would've never been the same!"

He ended his sentence with a cold, sadistic laugh. Applejack pouted and pulled out her lasso. "Alrighty then. Listen here partner, you hurt my friend and ev'rypony 'round here, an' I ain't gonna stand fer it! Just who do ya think ya are runnin' 'round terrorizin' innocent folks like this?!"

Psych stopped laughed but kept the sinister smile on his face. "You're gonna oppose me? Good. First you then Generosity and then the rest of you Elements of Harmony! I won't rest until you're all naught but drooling, catatonic wrecks for the rest of you lives!" Applejack readied herself as his eyes began to glow once more.

"I am the Illusion of Grief! Brace yourself Honesty; as the embodiment of pain and suffering, the agony I'm gonna bring will make you beg for death!"


	24. Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24  
THE TERROR OF PSYCH PART 2

Rearing up in a display of courage, Applejack charged towards her fellow earth pony. What she displayed, Psych saw nothing but idiocy. Chuckling with glowing eyes, he watched as he made an iron spike shoot out of the ground. It impaled Applejack right in her stomach causing her to halt and cry out in pain.

Not finished with her yet, Psych concentrated and caused more spikes to shoot out of the ground, impaling Applejack until there was no room for them any more. The end result was seeing Applejack with over twenty spikes sticking right through her, her wounds bleeding profusely. Psych ended the assault by launching one last spike which struck the farmer right between the eyes.

The pain she was going through was indescribable; she didn't even know such an amount of pain existed. Psych was right, she was practically begging to die.

"Oh wait, before I completely destroy your mind, I gotta ask you something." Psych's eyes lost their glow. The spikes impaling Applejack disappeared as well as the the holes they left in her and pain they brought, but the memory of such a horrible thing caused Applejack to stumble and fall panting heavily and trembling slightly.

"I'll make it quick; where did you hide Generosity?"

She knew he was referring to Rarity. In the midst of the terror she was feeling, she felt a flash of anger. "Y-you can jump of a cliff; I ain't telling ya where she is!"

Thanks to Psych's kinetic vision, he saw her subconscious movements betray her. At the words "where she is", he saw her eyes move slightly to her left. "C'mon, tell me! I got plans for her, plans which involve me nailing her to the ground, driving a chainsaw through her abdomen and cutting her in half."

Hot anger forced Applejack to her hooves. "Yer a monster, that's what ya are..."

Psych sighed with a smile on his face. "I know." he responded simply.

"Do what ya want ta me! I ain't gonna tell ya!"

_Bingo._ "Oh so she's over there." Psych said grinning and turning to the building where Applejack deposited the frightened Rarity.

"What? No she ain't!" Applejack cried out.

Her words wiped the smile right off of his face. He blinked twice and looked as if he was surprised by something. "Whoa...OK, you truly are the Element of Honesty. You are by far the worst liar I've ever met. You set everything off; eye twitch, hoof shuffle, muscle spasms, everything!"

Applejack didn't know what he meant, and she didn't care either. "I ain't following ya, and I ain't gonna let you git to 'er either!"

She twirled her lasso around with her tail and launched it at him. Psych turned his head to avoid it and activated his powers unaware that the rope managed to get a hold of the crate Applejack was using earlier. Before he could call down a bolt of lightning to strike her, she yanked the roped back. The crate smacked into Psych distracting him long enough for her to run up and buck him right in the chest.

Applejack rushed towards him and reared on her hind legs. Psych saw this and jumped back just as she stomped the ground in front of him. He lit up his eyes, but Applejack ran up and gave him a good strike right across his muzzle; Psych anticipated the buck and jumped back and avoided it before using his powers to launch a fireball at her. The farm mare galloped and slid under the fireball before getting up and jumping giving him a good headbutt to the chest.

Psych was knocked back and fell on his side. He quickly rose and activated his powers once again. This time, five large daggers with jagged edges materialized in front of him. They launched themselves at Applejack who managed to dodge four of them. The fifth one cut right through her right flank leaving a deep gash which began to bleed.

As she winced in pain, the knives turned around and went back for her. Despite her deep wound, she managed to dodge all of them. She charged once again at Psych who, with a wave of his hoof, pulled all the knives back before driving them into the ground before him halting Applejack's advance.

"I'm serious y'know." Psych told her. "I doubt you can't lie to save your life. It's just not who you are isn't it?"

Ignoring the gash on her flank, Applejack humphed. "Huh...ya got that right."

An idea suddenly struck Psych making his eyes widen and his hooves tingle with excitement. "I see. But do you know who the greatest liar ever is?" She raised an eyebrow. "It's the pony whom you trusted, the pony you gave a job and your hospitality, the pony who's done nothing but lie to you since the day you met."

Psych grinned upon seeing what looked like irritation flash across the mare's face. "Ironhead..." she muttered.

"Indeed." Psych nodded. "If anypony could lie and conceal things, it's him. Did you know he was already prepared to lie to anypony he encountered if the situation required it? Think of how he deceived you, how he spoke nothing but filth to you. Think of how he lied to you."

Despite her anger towards Psych, she had to agree with him. "He...He lied to me..."

Upon detecting the sorrow in her voice, Psych's grin grew wider. "He was prepared to do so before he came here? He was prepared to give anypony nothing but lies. It's his nature; just as I am Grief itself, he is the very incarnation of Deceit itself."

"Wh-whaddya mean by that?"

"I mean that he was able to deceive you Element of Honesty." Psych said, his voice dripping with malice. A flash of light appeared in front of him and materialized into the pony they were talking about.

"I...Ironhead..."

"I lied to you." he told her with a face devoid of any emotion. "You gave me a job, you thought of me as a friend, you trusted me, and in return, I lied to you."

Applejack stared at him once again feeling the pain she felt two days earlier. "You weren't like anypony else...I thought you were special...I thought...you thought I was special..."

Psych's eyes and smile couldn't get any wider. Ironhead's expression didn't change upon hearing her words. "Did I? Did I really think you meant anything to me? I guess you'll never know..."

With that, his form vanished into nothingness. Applejack bowed her head feeling even worse than she already did. She didn't deny the fact that she had feelings for him, but what about him? When he asked her out on that date, was that just another attempt to get close to her and get the Elements or was it a display of his own feelings?

"OK!" Psych cheerful shout reminded her that he was present. "Now that bringing emotional pain is done, it's time to go back to the physical pain!"

Grinning like the psychopath he was, Psych raised a hoof. Immediately the sky darkened with storm clouds. Looking skywards with her jaw hanging, Applejack saw a dark tornado suddenly burst from the clouds. Upon closer inspection however, she saw that it wasn't made of wind but of millions of daggers similar to the ones currently embedded in the ground.

Terror paralyzed her as the tornado approached. Applejack suddenly found herself surrounded by the daggers which spun around her at dizzying speeds. The winds they created started to pick up and before she knew it, Applejack felt her hooves leave the ground. Her legs flailing about, she was lifted in the air. As she spun around several times, she noticed several of them stop and point right at her.

"You're in my world." Applejack was surprised to hear Psych's voice so high up in the air. Back on the ground, he slowly raised a hoof and pointed it at the sky. "I control everything you hear, everything you see...everything you feel..." He suddenly thrust his hoof forward. "Feel this."

Instantly, Applejack was thrust into a world of nothing but blind agony. The tornado of daggers closed in on her and the screaming began. First, two daggers came from behind and stabbed themselves into her back. As she screamed out, three daggers shot out and cut across her stomach several times while another pair flew in and dug themselves into her front right leg.

THIS AIN'T REAL! THIS AIN'T REAL! she screamed in her head as she felt the daggers cut her up mercilessly.

As the winds buffeted her around, several more daggers flew in and sliced across her sides while others stabbed themselves into her at various places. A cluster of them flew at her face and started desecrating it; one dagger came in and slashed her right across her left eyes while the others started cutting her face apart. Several more swarmed around her and sliced through her flesh with their unforgiving blades.

Her blood began to fall like rain. Hearing her cries of anguish, seeing the crimson blood staining the floor, feeling the wind tear the farmer to pieces...Psych never felt more alive. He stood up on his hind legs, spread his fore legs and started laughing his heart out. Through the agony she was being put through, she heard it. It was just cold, heartless and evil as it came from a demon from Tartarus itself.

An eternity of pain later, the hurricane vanished leaving Applejack to plummet to the ground and hit it with a sickening crunch. The mare was barely recognizable. Her belly, which was a beautiful shade of orange, was now covered in blood, daggers, wide gashes, chunks of flesh and several other wounds. Her neck had five daggers embedded in it allowing her to do nothing but whimper in agony. He face was just as desecrated as the rest of her was. Her left eye was reduced to just a bleeding socket, both her ears were cut off, her mouth was full of her own blood, and her one good eye was filled with tears and looking at Psych in fear.

Suddenly, the light in his eyes vanished taking the pain with it, but the memory of it made Applejack tremble with terror. A few seconds later, Psych used his powers again with Applejack looking as good as new ready for another round of pain. "Y'know Honesty, there's only so much a pony's mind can handle." he said approaching her slowly. "You've shown plenty of resilience until now, but even you have your limits."

Applejack tried to get up, but her legs were trembling so much that she couldn't stand. Psych went and planted a hoof on her, pinning her down. With nowhere left to go, AJ looked up in fear at the maniac grinning at her. "Y'know, I was saving this for Generosity." Her eyes widened as a chainsaw materialized in his hooves. "But I'm certain I'll think of something that'll top this."

Grinning evilly, he pulled the cord, and the chainsaw roared into life. He raised it over his head and quickly brought it down towards her. Thinking fast, Applejack grabbed her hat and brought it up to the chainsaw before it could touch her. Her precious Stetson was shredded to pieces, but those pieces got caught up in the chainsaw, causing it to sputter and stop working altogether.

"What the hell?!" Psych cried out bringing up his chainsaw for inspection. Seeing her chance, Applejack got her hooves on his chest and shoved him back. As Psych rose, Applejack managed to stand despite her legs feeling like Sugarcube Corner's apple gelatin. She charged at him a little clumsily, but managed to barrel right past him without him getting a chance to activate his powers.

Applejack halted and quickly turned around. Upon seeing the colt turn, she quickly looked around and spotted the crate she used earlier. Psych's eyes began to glow once again trusting her into the world of his illusions. In in, she saw a buzz saw materialize in front of him and launch itself at her. Panicking, she quickly jumped behind the crate and braced herself.

To her surprise, the buzz saw didn't come crashing into the crate and sawing her in half. Still, she didn't believe she was in the clear yet, that is until she heard hoof steps. She turned around and saw Psych run up in front of her and activate his powers creating the buzz saw once again. Applejack quickly jumped over the crate and hid behind it again. Again, the buzz saw didn't come at her. She heard Psych growl angrily before running up to face her.

Intrigued by this, she grabbed the crate and held it in front of her; somehow, it had protected her from his powers. Her view of Psych was blocked, but she heard him growl in annoyance before running to her right. Guided by the sound of his hooves, Applejack turned towards him still carrying the crate. Annoyed, Psych ran in circles around her looking for an opening, but his target managed to keep up with him.

"Dammit! Come out of there!" he roared as he continued to run. Applejack didn't respond and just kept hiding behind the crate.

Eventually, Applejack saw her chance when she heard him panting. As his galloping slowed down, Applejack ran forwards and rammed him with all her might. Psych was knocked back and struggled to get up, but Applejack, with adrenaline pushing her fear away, charged and emptied his lungs with a buck to his chest. Before Psych could get up, Applejack lassoed the crate and hurled it over him. Before he could bust out, she ran over and jumped on top of it just as the pounding started.

"Hey! Lemme out!" Psych roared hammering against the crate with his hooves. Luckily, Applejack's weight was enough to keep him in. Feeling satisfied with his entrapment, she sighed and slumped over the crate breathing heavily. The fight was over, but she doubted she would ever forget the things she saw and felt. She clutch herself and trembled a little remembering the pain he put him through.

"Jus' where th' hay do these guys come from?" she wondered out loud.

* * *

"Applejack." Said pony snapped into attention upon hearing her name. She saw Twilight approached looking worried. "I heard about what was going on and rushed here as fast as I could. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Twi', but I don't think Rarity an' I're gonna get any sleep fer th' next few days." she said still trembling a little.

"Rarity? Where is she?" Twilight looked around for her friend.

"Over there." The farm pony pointed at the building she his Rarity behind. "She might still be there. This feller over here got to 'er first." she added thumping the crate.

"I swear when I'm released, I'm gonna-"

"Save yer breath." Applejack told him. "He's one of 'em Twi' just like Ironhead and the rest of 'em." Her friends eyes widened. "He said he can do illusions, real nasty illusions in fact."

"Illusions?" Twilight asked.

"Yep. They feel real, but he can't hurt anypony now."

"This crate blocked his powers?"

"Uh huh. Don't exactly know why either."

Twilight looked at the crate with an intrigued expression. After doing some thinking, she turned to her friend. "Applejack, when I give the word, get rid of the crate."

"Ya sure about this?" the latter asked.

"Positive. If physical objects can block his powers, maybe other kinds can too."

Applejack just nodded trusting her. She slowly got down while keeping her hooves pressed on the crate. She locked eyes with Twilight who began counting. "One...Two...Three...Now!"

Applejack yanked the crate away and braced herself for whatever happened. Psych triumphantly rose to his hind legs and activated his powers. His eyes glowing, he readied himself to give the mares pain unlike anything else...only to be stopped by a magenta barrier surrounding him.

"Aw c'mon!" Psych cried out indignantly. He sat on his haunches and crossed his forelegs. Applejack finally let loose the breath she had been holding.

"So keeping him in here should protect us as well." Twilight concluded.

Psych took notice of her for the first time. "Oh hey, you're the other Magic. Just what d'you plan on doing to me?" he asked.

She tilted her head confused. "Magic? My name is Twilight Sparkle, and as for you, I'll think I'll keep you locked up somewhere you can't hurt anypony."

"Like what the city jail?" Psych asked sarcastically. "Good luck. Those jails have bars don't they? That's not enough to block my powers."

Understanding his point, Twilight's brow furrowed. "Well...I'll just have to keep you at home."

"What?!" Applejack exclaimed returning from fetching her hat whose destruction was just an illusion. "This pony here's a maniac! You just gonna leave him at yer place?!"

"Don't worry AJ; I'll keep him in the basement." Twilight reassured. "I'll even put a barrier around it so he can't get out."

AJ managed to relax a little. "OK, but y'all be careful OK? Trust me; you don't wanna mess with 'im"

Twilight nodded. "Now is Rarity alright?"

"Tremblin' like a leaf, but she' a-OK." Applejack led the way while Twilight, leaving Psych in his prison, followed here behind the building where she found Rarity crying.

"Oh my goodness." Twilight said dropping down to help her friend. Upon seeing her, the white unicorn rushed and held onto her for dear life. As she continued to cry, Twilight stroked her back in an effort to comfort her.

"I'll take o' her Twi'. You get 'im nice and locked up ya here?" Applejack told her gesturing her head towards Psych.

Twilight nodded and handed Rarity over to Applejack who carried her on her back as they walked away. As they did, Twilight returned to Psych who was still sitting grumpily and levitated him with her magic. She began to walk home wondering just what the hell was going on.

* * *

"Hey Twilight, you sure about keeping that guy in here? He give's me the creeps. Did you see his eyes? He looked at me like he was gonna eat me or something." Spike said wincing a little a few minutes after Twilight arrived home, placed a barrier around the inner half of the basement and magically locked the door.

"I know he seems scary Spike, but I have to keep him somewhere he can't hurt anypony." Twilight replied albeit feeling a little nervous. "Beside, since we couldn't get any information from Ash, maybe we could get some from him."

"Yeah, but what if he tries to escape?"

"Already thought of that." Twilight answered hopefully. "I moved all my scientific equipment to the other side of the room; the only things on his side are a bunch of file cabinets and outdated books. Trust me, he won't be breaking out of there."

Meanwhile in Twilight's basement...

Psych sighed as he tapped the shimmering lavender shield that confined him to half of the basement floor. It was sturdy enough to take several blows before finally breaking. He sighed again looking around for some means to escape so he can corner Twilight and her little dragon friend and drive them to insanity. Unfortunately, the only things with him were some dusty old books and a few file cabinets. Sighing once more, he got to work.

A few minutes after leafing through the books, he found nothing that could help him. Just for the heck of it, he picked up the biggest one among them and chucked it at the barrier. It shimmered briefly, but remained undamaged. Sighed , he went to the file cabinets and began going through them only finding things like old research notes, schedules, discarded check lists and records.

That all changed however, when he opened the bottom most drawer of the third file cabinet he was browsing. Instead of seeing more papers, Psych saw instead a large, thick purple binder with Twilight's Cutie Mark under it. Intrigued, he picked it up noticing golden words underneath the mark. it read: Friendship Reports. Curious, he opened the binder; on the first page, there was what looked like a letter written on fine parchment.

_"I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the "magic of friendship". She must report to me her findings, from her new home... in Ponyville."_

A wide, sadistic grin broke out of the earth pony's face, and excitement tingled in his hooves. Forget escaping, he had found something that would make his imprisonment much more enjoyable. Grinning like the mad pony he was, Psych opened the binder and began to read.

_Let's see. Dear Princess Celestia..._


	25. Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25  
IMPRISONMENT AND QUESTIONING

"Dear Princess Celestia, my investigation into the matter of the ponies has resulted in a few incidences with others; apparently, there were more of them than I thought. My friends and I are unhurt, but a few of us are quite shaken..." Twilight remembered just how shaken Applejack and Rarity were after their encounters with Psych.

"That guy did something to Rarity didn't he?" Spike asked sharply turning towards the door to the basement and shaking his fist at it. "If he ever does that again I'll-"

"Spike!" Twilight reprimanded before her assistant could finish the threat. The later stopped and looked back at her sheepishly.

"Heh...sorry about that Twilight." he apologized.

The unicorn sighed. "Listen, I know you're upset over what he did to Rarity; believe me when I say somepony like him deserves to be locked in the deepest dungeon Celestia has." She glared at the basement door herself. "But we still need information from him regarding what Solstice and his brothers wanted with the Elements. Now back to that letter."

Spike held up his quill and parchment as Twilight cleared her throat. "In the end, I managed to detain a pony affiliated with them and plan to interrogate him. We have no idea what the brothers will be planning next. Therefore, I must request for the presence of a few royal guards in Ponyville for extra protection while I question him."

"I will send the results of my questioning as soon as I have them. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."

Spike rolled up the letter and sent to off to Canterlot. "So when are you gonna talk to that guy?" he asked.

"Later after we've had a good meal." she answered, her stomach grumbling slightly. "Think you can rustle up something for him as well Spike?"

The dragon shifted uncomfortably. "OK, but I'm not taking it down to him. I know you got a barrier around him, but he just freaks me out y'know?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll teleport it down there." Satisfied, Spike left to prepare lunch for the three of them. With him gone, Twilight looked once again at the basement door wondering if Psych would be in any mood for talking.

* * *

_ I used to think the most important traits to look for in a pet, or any best friend, were all physical competitive abilities. But now I can see how short-sighted and shallow that was..._

"Huh...Brash aren't you Loyalty?" Psych muttered to himself as he turn a page to view the next letter. He was interrupted by a popping sound from behind him, Looking over his shoulder, he saw a plate on which two hay sandwiches sat. He marked his spot in the binder and fetched his lunch. Carrying a sandwich in his mouth, he returned to the binder and resumed reading.

Upstairs while the library's other two occupants were busy having lunch, Spike belched out some green flames, and Twilight caught the scroll that came with it with her magic. She unrolled it and read its contents intently. "What's it say Twilight?" Spike asked.

"It says here that the guards have been sent. It's just a small group of four. They should be arriving later in the afternoon." Twilight replied, her mouth slightly full of oats.

"It's gonna be weird having royal guards around here." Spike commented snacking on a few rubies.

"We don't really need many of them. He's harmless behind that barrier; the guards are just here in case Solstice and the others tried something again. I wonder what they're planning now..." she replied, her thoughts tuning to Solstice. "Solstice and his brothers never actually tried to hurt us, but Ash and this pony both tried to. They're both affiliated with him, so why do they seem to act separately?"

"That's why you're gonna ask him right?" Spike pointed out. "Ya better do it now before those other guys show up."

"Huh...I think I will." She wolfed down the last of her oats and took a quick drink. "Wish me luck."

After receiving a thumbs up from him, Twilight took a deep breath and headed to the basement door. She gently pushed it open and lit up her horn in case she had to do a quick spell. She knew she had a barrier protecting her, but better safe than sorry right? She slowly descended the stairs, every step taking her closer and closer to a psychopath. She shook off bad thoughts from her head. He was harmless; what was the worst he could do?

Once she was a the bottom of the stairs, she cleared her throat and spoke. "Hello?...I hope you're in the mood for answering because I have so many ques-"

She froze mid-sentence at the scene before. Her magical barrier was still intact. Behind it sat Psych who was busy going through something she eventually recognized as a thick purple binder. Upon hearing her voice, the earth pony looked up and waved cheerfully at her. "Oh hey there Magic. So what's your first question?" he asked grinning innocently.

"Wha-bu-ho-wh-" Twilight sputtered before finally crying out: "What are you doing with that?!"

"Uh, reading it of course." Psych answered holding the collection of reports up. "I grew bored, so I looked around and found this little thing in a drawer." He opened it and flipped through a few pages while Twilight stared with her jaw hanging. "It's been really entertaining; you've no idea just how much I learned from it."

A flash of light later, the book magically disappeared from his hooves and reappeared safely in Twilight's. "So Magic...you're the student of Princess Celestia herself...No wonder you guys have a connection to the Elements." he mused.

Twilight placed the binder aside before turning back to him. "So you do know about the Elements; you are with Solstice aren't you?" she questioned.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say 'with' him. We're affiliated with each other, but we aren't really that close." Psych replied. "So why do you keep those things around?" He pointed at the friendship reports.

"I'm asking the questions here." she reminded him. "Now what is it that you want with the Elements of Harmony?"

Psych sighed and sat on his hunches. "I already told Honesty that. I don't, in any way, seek your Elements." He grinned at her. "Keep them here as long as you want. Make sure they stay put."

Twilight didn't feel reassured by his words and his cooperation. Something about that smile of his made her feel edgy. "Well do you at least know what they're planning?"

"Hmm...Aside from them wanting to find out where the Elements of Harmony are located, I can't say. I don't really involve myself in the stuff they get into. They could honestly jump off a cliff for all I care." Psych said heartlessly. "I tend to act separately from them."

Twilight nodded; this was getting nowhere. "But, despite the truth looking at them right in the eyes, they concern themselves over me. They're probably searching for me as we speak."

"Really? Are you Solstice's brother as well?" Twilight asked.

Psych's grin quickly turned into a frown. "No. I only have one brother with whom you guys had a run in with."

"What? Y-You mean Ash? He's your brother?" Twilight asked surprised. "He was the one that started the fight; I swear none of us wanted to hurt him."

Psych huffed and sat down again still feeling upset. "If you must know, that's why I went after Generosity and Honesty." he told her.

_Generosity? Honesty? Why is he calling us by our Elements?_ she wondered. "My turn to get a question in." He pointed once again at the reports. "Why do you keep those around? Haven't you already learned from them? Just curious that's all."

Twilight eyed him suspiciously. The question seemed innocent and had no ill intent. It wouldn't hurt to answer him right? "Sometime ago I...let's just say that I lost my way." she answered him. Psych leaned forward in interest. "I forgot what really mattered to me; I forgot everything I learned here in Ponyville, everything I learned from my friends. She gave the binder a pat. "These letters reminded me of what really mattered. I kept them in case I ever needed to be set on the right path once again..."

Silence ensued after Twilight's reply. Psych's eyes closed, the gears in his head turning as he processed what he had just heard. After much thought, he opened his eyes and gave hr an amused smile. "You truly value friendship don't you?" he asked.

She nodded. "It changed lives for the better. One of my friends believed that it would change your brother. He really looked like a troubled colt."

"You have no idea." Psych said wondering what Ash was doing at the moment. "Yet what happened to that friendship when he started that fire? I thought your friendship was supposed to help him. What went wrong?"

"He...Ash didn't seem to accept our offer. It just seemed to anger him instead."

"So where was your precious friendship then?" Psych questioned. "I thought it was going to change him for the better?"

"Well I-"

"I've read how it changed your friends, and yet it did nothing to my brother."

"Well...friendship isn't perfect." Twilight told him.

"Oh I know it's imperfect. I'm just saying that it's much more flawed than you think." Psych said. "After all, relationships in general are not only flawed, but obstructive."

"Obstructive? To what?" Twilight asked.

Psych sighed. "The ugly, irrefutable truth that not all ponies are as perfect as you think."

"I'm very much aware of that. I know me and my friends aren't perfect, but that doesn't make me think any less of them. I know how to look past their imperfections and-"

"Look past them? Pfft. You blot them out, that's what you do." Psych interrupted. " Take Kindness for example. She is a wimpy, pathetic-."

"Don't talk like that about her!" an upset Twilight shouted.

"- coward." Psych ended with a smile. "How is it that you can depend on a pony such as that?"

"She's a lot tougher than you think." Twilight answered angrily.

"I beg to differ." Psych said unfazed. "We're talking about a mare who changed completely upon the acceptance of an idea. Yeah, she reverted back to her old self, but it was rather pathetic of her to change at all right? She's a pathetic mare, and you can't see that because of your friendship. You can't see any of your friends true characteristics before of your friendship."

For a while, she was speechless. "What makes you think you know my friends more than I do?" Twilight asked upset over the things he said.

Psych grinned and turned to his side. "I think I know just as much as you do; it's my special talent after all." he answered pointing at his Cutie Mark. "The eye represents my kinetic vision, my ability to see a pony's subconscious actions and habits. The brain on the other hoof represents my ability to analyze ponies. Give me say, half an hour with somepony, and I could tell you exactly what kind of pony they are, and exactly what to say in order to hurt them. I couldn't do that to your friends, but you provided me with something just as good."

Twilight's eyes widened as she turned to the binder at her side. "The friendship reports?!" she exclaimed.

"Indeed." Psych said with a nod. "So let me get this straight, Honesty's a stubborn, hard working family pony, Generosity's a lady who keeps true to her Element, Loyalty's brash and headstrong, Laughter's bubbly and cheerful and loves to make everypony smile..." For a brief moment, anger coursed through his veins. "And Kindness is, as I mentioned earlier, a wimp."

Psych finished with an evil grin while Twilight stared in shock. "I even got stuff on Princess Luna." he added. "Funny; I thought she was still imprisoned on the moon..."

Twilight shook her head and found her voice. "If you know that, then you must know what good ponies they are." she told him.

"Please, you only say they're good because your friendship with them obstructs your view of their true nature." Psych said. "Lemme ask you something; if, for some insane, illogical reason, we were friends, would be be able to look past my sadistic, heartless nature and truly care for me? If we were friends, would you release me?"

Twilight was a little startled by his questions. "Well...It wouldn't be nice to keep one of my friends locked up..."

"You are aware of what I'll to others once I'm released. You're willing to sic me on the defenseless ponies because I'm your friend?" Psych accused. "You said it yourself that you'd hate to see a friend of your imprisoned like I am. Our friendship has caused you to forget that I'm a maniac. You were so lost in your care for me that you were willing to let me lose in Ponyville."

"I...I..." Twilight didn't know what to say.

"Such is the nature of friendship. It does nothing but blind ponies to other's faults! They use it as a means to be nice to others despite their faults! It's a cover placed upon the faults of others by those who supposedly care them only because they don't wish to see their faults! All those letters are all just ways to cover your friend's faults and problems!"

"Every lesson you learn, every letter you and your friends have written are just displays of your weakness! You may learn something, but that learning's never gonna cease won't it? You six will always remain the pathetic ponies you are which will churn out more and more letters to put in there, more and more testaments to your failures! I may have my own problems, but at least I don't try to cover them up! I love making ponies suffer; it's all I can do, and I can't choose otherwise!"

"Don't like other ponies fault?! Despise seeing their errors?! Well don't cover it up with something fine and dandy like friendship! And don't go running to your mentor passing it off as something you learned when it's just another mark of your failure! Here's what you write next time: 'Dear Princess Celestia..."

"N-No..." Twilight shook her head not wanting to hear it.

"Today I learned that everything I've learned here in Ponyville was all useless. All this time, I've don't nothing but conceal my 'friends' screw-ups. What a pointless task you've given me!"

"No...No!" Twilight shouted finally hearing enough. She turned around and hurried out of the basement as fast as she could.

"While you're up there, d'you think you can send down any books by Jung you got?" he called before hearing the basement door slam shut. He grinned and started laughing remembering how distraught Twilight looked before she left. Letting out a relaxed sigh, he laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. He never needed his powers to inflict pain on others; he could do it just as easily with the right words.

"I think I'm gonna enjoy it here..."


	26. Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26  
SORROW AND SMILES

"Hey, you heard about what happened a while ago?"

"Yeah I heard. Somepony went crazy and started making everypony in sight scream."

"Freakiest thing I ever saw..."

"What if he comes in here?!"

"Relax. I heard that Applejack took care of him."

"First those three ponies, then that weird fire, then this guy...Just what's going on here?"

That was a question almost everypony was asking late that afternoon in Sugar Cube Corner. Word of Psych's arrival in town had spread surprisingly fast causing a few ponies to grow tense look around carefully and, in the case of three flower-selling ponies, locked themselves indoors for several hours upon seeing a complete stranger.

Meanwhile, the quiet air in Sugar Cube Corner's kitchen was broken by a high pitch DING! Hearing that tune, a certain pink mare spotting a pink, floral apron happily bounced on over to the oven. After slipping on some oven gloves, she reached inside and pulled out a tray of freshly baked brownies, their scent drifting filling her nostrils and making her drool. Unable to contain herself, she opened her mouth much wider than anypony else could and prepared to devour the entire thing, only to be stopped by a coughing sound.

Her mouth still wide open, Pinkie looked to her right seeing two foals sitting on the kitchen floor glaring at her expectantly. Her mouth still agape, she tipped the tray causing two brownies to fall; the twins caught the falling treats in their mouths. As they chewed happily, Pinkie tipped the tray allowing the rest of the brownies to fall into her mouth. She munched on them, swallowed and let out a loud burp which made her and the twins giggle.

After laughing at her own burp with with twins for a while, Pinkie glanced outside the window and spotted something large soar through the sky. Pressing her face against the glass, she saw that it was really a cluster of pegasi clad in the golden armor of the royal guard flying in perfect formation.

Judging by the direction in which they were flying, they seemed to be heading towards the library. Feeling like something cool and fun was going to happen, she tossed her apron aside and galloped out of the kitchen.

"Bye Mr. Cake! Bye Mrs. Cake! I'm gonna go see Twilight!" she called as she raced past the couple behind the register.

"Bye Pinkie!" Mrs. Cake answered waving back at her while her husband headed into the kitchen.

"Er...honey?" he called a few seconds later. "What happened to that batch of brownies in the oven?"

* * *

Upon seeing the guards through her window, Twilight raced outside. By the time she was out, the pegasus guards had already landed and stood ready to receive orders, their spears looking rather menacing. Standing ahead of the other guards was a tall, sky-blue pegasus with a grayish white mane and amber eyes.

"Ms. Twilight, I'm General Stratos of the pegasus guard here to station these four here in Ponyville at her majesty's order." he said formally.

"Thank you General. You have no idea how reassuring it is to have some extra protection around here." she told them.

Stratos nodded and looked behind him. "Flash, I'm placing you in charge here. Ensure that nothing happens to Ms. Twilight, her friends or the Elements of Harmony."

On of the pegasi, a deep saffron one with blue eyes and mane nodded stepped forward holding his spear ready. "I won't let you down sir."

Pleased with his response, the general looked back at Twilight. "Where they'll be staying has already been arranged by the Princess. They'll be patrolling the town day and night; you needn't worry about them. They are among the best guards I have."

Twilight looked from Flash and the rest of the guards to Stratos. "Very well then. Please tell the princess that I'll be sending any updates I find."

Stratos nodded, turned to the rest of the guard and saluted to them. After watching Flash and the guards return it, he spread his wings and took off towards Canterlot. Twilight watched him fly off for a while before looking down, seeing the pony in change, Flash, approach her.

"I hope our stay here in Ponyville doesn't make you uncomfortable Ms. Twilight." he told her.

"Oh no; it's fine. Growing up in Canterlot Castle meant having to grow up surrounded by guards all the time. I'm pretty used to it." she reassured earning a smile from the guard.

"I also heard that you have a prisoner; would you like one of us to stay as extra protection?" he offered.

Twilight was quick to refuse. "Oh no; the protection placed around him is already enough. Besides..." She rubbed her hoof nervously. "He really isn't the kind of guy you'd like to be around..."

Flash raised a puzzled eyebrow but didn't question her any further. "I see. Well, we'll be beginning our patrol now. Just find me or any of us in case you need anything."

"I'll keep that in mind." Twilight said nodding. "Thanks again Flash." The guard nodded and left to give the remaining guards their orders. Twilight, feeling much better with extra protection in town, turned around and got a face full of pink.

"Hi Twilight!"

"GYAH!"

In less than a second, Flash and the rest of the guards were in front of her, their spears pointed forward. "It's OK! It's OK! It's OK! She's with me!" Twilight cried out frantically before the guards could skewer her friend.

Luckily, the guards relaxed. Pinkie, not at all bothered by the fact that she was almost killed, bounded over to Twilight. "Hi Twilight! What's with all the ponies in the shiny armor? Is the princess coming over for another party? Does she need anything? I got lots of streamers and balloons and party hats back home and-"

"N-No Pinkie. Princess Celestia isn't coming to town." Twilight interrupted. "The guards are here for extra protection. Solstice and his brothers might make another attempt at the Elements. They're bound to make another move soon now that we have one of them here."

"We do?"

"Yes. One of them arrived in Ponyville a while ago and-"

At the words "arrived in Ponyville", Pinkie had unfortunately bolted into the library before Twilight could explain how Psych tortured everpony he encountered. Knowing Pinkie's usual way of treating newcomers, Twilight recovered from her shock and galloped back into her home where she found Spike lying on the floor looking dazed.

"Spike, where'd Pinkie go?!" she cried out helping him up with her magic.

"Sh-she went right past me and headed into the basement!" he answered hurriedly. Panicking, Twilight checked the basement door which, to her dismay and surprise, was open.

"B-But-My lock and-my spells-and-GRAH! Pinkie, why do you have to keep breaking the laws of physics?!" she cried out in frustration. Caring more about her friend more than her strange abilities, Twilight raced into the basement before anything could happen.

* * *

"Yeesh, how OCD can you get Magic?" Psych muttered as he went through several of Twilight's outdated check lists. She had them for everything from usual day-to-day activities to making even more lists. As Psych tossed one of the over his shoulder and grabbed one of Twilight's planners, he heard the basement door open. "Hey Magic, what's with all the lists and schedules? So obsessed with order that you can't take the crap life throws at you?"

There was no reply however. Instead, Psych head something come crashing down the stairs. Curious, he put the planned aside and watched as a tray on wheels rolled in front of the barrier. On top of it was a large, three layered cake with covered with pink frosting, sprinkles, gummi bears, chocolate chips, lollipops, mini marshmallows, ice cream..._I'm getting diabetes just looking at it. _he thought approaching it slowly.

BLAM!

"GAH!"

Psych jumped back just as the cake exploded violently revealing a pink mare covered in frosting and wearing a party hat.

"Wh-what the-"

"WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!" Pinkie shouted with enough force to cause Psych's mane flutter. The next thing he knew, she up hopping up and down excitedly right in front of the barrier. "Oh my gosh, we haven't had a new pony in town in weeks! I must be loosing my skills; I mean usually ponies are excited or happy whenever I come out and say: 'WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!', but lately, all they do just stare and make faces like that."

"Uh...Um..." Psych was still trying to get over Pinkie's rapid chattering.

"Yeah, just like that! Hey, why're your eyes all funny? The only time I ever got those eyes was when I had a whole cake and three glasses of chocolate syrup for breakfast. I was jumpy and crawled up the ceiling like a spider; Mrs. Cake almost fainted when she saw that. Have you met the Cakes yet? Oh wait, you haven't 'cause your still stuck in here, but you totally gotta go see them! They're the best bakers in town, and they can get you anything from pastries to cakes to cupcakes to-"

"Pinkie!" Twilight's shout finally made her stop talking. "Pinkie, get away form him; he's crazy!"

"C'mon Twilight, he can't be that bad. You and everypony else call me crazy all the time." Pinkie pointed out.

"Yeah but...He's the bad kind of crazy!"

"There's a bad kind?"

"Yes! Now get away from him before-"

"Pinkie?" Psych finally said. Everything then began to fall in place. He looked at the pink mare still covered in frosting and instantly realized who she was. "Pinkie Pie...Laughter!"

He suddenly reared on his hind legs and slammed his front hooves onto the barrier. Twilight yelped and jumped back, but her shield remained intact. Pinkie on the other hoof wasn't surprised at all. Nor was she surprised when she found Psych glaring at her teeth bared, his breaths heavy. His eyes, which Pinkie had found to be funny-looking were now seething with hate.

"You...We've finally met..." he said full of spite.

"Uh huh. Why? Were you waiting for me?" Pinkie asked innocently.

"I've always known this day would come..." Psych continued. "I've always wondered what kind of pony you'd turn out to be, what kind of pony would embody Laughter itself...and now...I'm not at all surprised..."

Puzzled, Pinkie tilted her head to the side causing a drop of frosting to fall and hit the floor. "Laughter huh? Oh, I'm all about laughing and having fun. I love turning those frowny faces I see upside down."

At those words, Psych violently pounded the barrier. "Pinkie, get away from him!" Twilight cried out despite knowing that her barrier would hold.

"You love it don't you? You devote yourself to bringing joy everywhere you go. You can't stand the sight of gloom and despair and do you best to get rid of them. You live in a perpetual bliss and just want to share it with everypony else don't you?"

Pinkie took some time to consider his questions. "Well yeah. Seeing everypony so happy make me real happy too. It's the best feeling ever!"

"...I see..." Psych bowed his head and started to chuckle which eventually turned to laughter. Eventually, he threw he head backwards and began laughing in a cruel, sinister way. Twilight felt her blood chill as his peals echoed throughout the basement walls; she had never heard something to heartless in her life. Pinkie however, just smiled and started laughing as well, her own laughing filled with cheer and mirth.

"Wh-Why are we laughing?!" she asked clutching her stomach and wiping a tear away. Psych eventually stopped his maniacal cackling and looked at her.

"You're no different from me!" he cried out and began to laugh once again.

Twilight rushed over to him. "What're you talking about? Pinkie is nothing like you!"

Psych stopped once again to speak. "She is like me! We're two sides of the same coin! Both of us live by the very things we embody and spread them wherever we go! We both love what we do and refine our abilities to spread it! We're even both insane! Our only difference is what we spread; she spreads laughter and mirth while I do the same with anguish and pain!"

"Huh?" Pinkie asked raising an eyebrow. "I dunno what you're talking about, but I do like making everypony smile. It make me smile."

"And I enjoy inflicting misery just as much." Psych replied. "It makes me smile."

"H-How can you be so cruel?" Twilight asked him in disbelief.

He furrowed his brow and glared at her. "It's ponies like you who made me into the psychopath I am now. I'm merely a part of the world, an undeniable truth that will never cease to exist, yet guys like you reject me. You all hate me! Despise me! Get rid of me the minute I come into your lives!"

"But none of have even met you before today; how could we hate you if we didn't know who you were?" Twilight asked wondering just what he was talking about.

Psych huffed and put a hoof on his chest. "I'm Grief, sorrow, pain, everything everypony would hate in their lives. I'm the gloom you try to dispel with happy thoughts and laughter. I am the incarnation of despair and agony, and I live to sow them. It's what I am..."

That last sentence seemed familiar to Twilight. Reaching through her memories, she heard the same thing coming from a grey pegasus moments before he tried to burn them alive. "Wait...Ash said something like that too." she said. "He said he was evil, that that was all he was."

"Indeed." Psych nodded. "He's an incarnation just as I am. It's what we all are."

"You're...incarnations?" Twilight asked.

"Yes. I'm Grief itself. Ash is Cruelty itself. We're all manifestations of the worst things the world has to offer just as you are all the manifestations of the more favorable things the world has to offer. You are all loved while we are all despised and hated. The others refuse to accept this truth; only Ash and I believe it."

"Wait...so you're sadness and those gloomy things?" Pinkie asked.

"Yes." Psych turned his attention back to her. "In the same way, you're Laughter, cheer and merriment itself. You're friend there is Magic itself. All your friends are incarnations just like us."

Twilight couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Wait just a minute, I'm not a manifestation of anything; none of us are! We're all just normal ponies like everypony else."

The colt pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. "So...you deny it as well huh? I see...You don't accept your true self..." Twilight said nothing as he turned to his counterpart, his opposite. "And you...always bringing sunshine to everypony's lives...it's what you are...don't you find the task exhausting?"

Pinkie shrugged. "Not really. Seeing everypony having a good time is always a really nice thing to watch."

"Yes, but don't you think that it'll never cease? Ponies're never gonna stop feeling gloomy, and none of your efforts're gonna put and end to that. The joy you're bringing to them isn't perpetual...So why give them that brief moment of cheer before I come in, slap them in the face and send them back to reality?"

"Pinkie, don't answer him." Twilight warned quickly.

"Well...I don't really think it matters that they'll be all sad again." she answered ignoring Twilight's pleas. "If they do get all saddy and droppy again, I'll just have to cheer it them up again."

"True, but won't it go on like that until your death? This is a battle you'll never win." Psych told her. "You can't keep everypony happy all the time; my gloom'll eventually worm its way into their hearts. Even knowing this, you still wanna pursue this pointless goal?"

Pinkie considered the question. As Twilight watched worriedly, she sat on her haunches and began to think. After about a minute, nothing happened. Psych smiled, thinking that he had stumped her and made her realize how pointless her-

DING!

A light bulb suddenly appeared on top of Pinkie's head and turned itself on much to Psych's surprise. A wide grin broke out on her face as she approached the barrier. "Oh, oh, oh! I got an answer!" she cried out happily.

Psych raised an eyebrow. "Elaborate then."

Pinkie nodded, the light bulb vanishing in the process. "I still wanna do it." she said simply leading Psych to stare at her in disbelief.

"Seriously? You'd devote yourself to such a lost cause for the rest of your life? This is something you'll never conquer! You'll be spending the rest of your days in an endless struggle to make everypony smile! You see somepony in despair and bring them into the light, but have you even considered just how long they're gonna stay there!"

"The life you live is pointless, without meaning, and utterly pathetic! You try to give meaning to pony's lives, but that meaning will eventually be lost! Ponies can never be happy forever; why can't you just accept that?! What's the point of going out of your way to turn every frown you see into a smile knowing fully well that it'll just revert to its original state?!"

"The point is to make them happy." Pinkie said before Psych could continue. "I dunno about all that stuff you said about me being made of Laughter or anything, but I really like making ponies smile. I know they're gonna feel sad again, but that's not gonna happen yet. Why should I think about that?"

"B...Because..." Psych began gritting his teeth in anger.

"You say it's silly, but hey; I'm silly, and I do lots of silly stuff too. Like this one time when thought I could make stuff bake faster by turning the oven up, but then the knob thingy broke and it exploded and the Cakes had to call the fire department and they wouldn't let me play with the hose and-" Psych's glare cut her off. She giggled a little. "Oops, sorry about that."

"Anyway, I think they know they're gonna be sad again, but when they do, they know I'm gonna be there to cheer them up. They don't just get all happy because of what I do, they get it 'cause they gotta friend like me. Seeing them so happy even thought there's all kinds of stuff that'll make them sad...There's no way I'd get tired of that! I even made a song about it!"

"What?!" Psych exclaimed angrily.

"Uh huh. C'mon, it's easy to catch on; listen! _I like to see you grin. I love to see you beam_. _The corners of your mouth turned up is always Pinkie's dream_..."

Psych growled, his front hooves trembling. "_But if you're kind of worried, and your face has made a frown, I'll work real hard and do my best to turn that sad frown upside down_!"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Psych screamed hammering the barrier with such force that Twilight feared it would break. Pinkie stopped singing, but Psych continued to smash his hooves again and again against the barrier, the only thing standing between Pinkie and his wrath. After what seemed like a minute, of ruthless pounding, Psych finally stopped. His head was bowed, his hooves were sore and trembling, and his breaths were heavy."

"I...hate you...I hate you...I HATE YOU!" he screamed at her face. "IT'S JOY-HOARDING, CHEER-CRAVING, LAUGHTER-WANTING PONIES LIKE YOU WHO MADE ME INTO THIS MONSTER! You...YOU'RE AT THE TOP OF THAT LIST! YOUR SOLE REASON FOR LIVING IS TO BANISH ME FROM THIS WORLD AND FILL IT WITH YOURSELF! WHY?! WHY IS IT THAT YOU AND EVERYPONY ELSE JUST CAN'T ACCEPT THE SORROWS OF THE WORLD?! WHY DO YOU ALL KEEP SHUNNING, DENYING AND REJECTING ME?! I'M A PART OF THIS WORLD AS WELL DAMMIT!"

"P-Pinkie...we should go." Twilight said as Psych continued to rage on. Pinkie seemed to understand and went up the stairs along with Twilight all while continuing to hear Psych scream at her.

"YOU DENY AND REJECT ME MORE THAN ANYPONY ELSE! YOU'RE TOO NAIVE TO UNDERSTAND THIS, BUT YOU HATE ME AS WELL! YOU AND EVERYPONY ELSE HATE ME, AND I HATE ALL OF YOU JUST AS MUCH IF NOT MORE! I HATE EVERYPONY! I HATE YOU LAUGHTER! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"

* * *

Twilight finally slammed the door and placed an array of spells on it to keep it locked cutting off Psych's furious screaming for the moment. Once she was done, she sighed and sat down feeling exhausted. "Are you OK Pinkie? He said some pretty hurtful things back in there." she asked.

"Yup. I'm OK." Pinkie answered still smiling after everything.

Twilight looked once again at the basement door. "I've...I've never felt that much hatred coming from a single pony before..." she remarked remembering the anger in Psych's eyes. She wouldn't be surprised if he was still screaming. "I can't believe somepony could actually hate you Pinkie."

"It's OK." Her friend shrugged. "Y'know, I don't really hate him, not one teensy weensy tiny bit."

"Really?" Twilight asked. Then again, the idea of Pinkie actually hating somepony was just as absurd as hearing Applejack lie.

"Yeah. I know he sounds really really mad, but...he's also really really sad." She looked at the basement door thinking about the howling pony one floor down. "Didn't you hear him? He was saying 'Boo hoo. Everypony doesn't like me. Wah!'"

"To be honest, all I heard was him screaming his hatred of you."

"Well, he's sad OK? And I'm gonna cheer him up." Twilight opened her mouth, but Pinkie had turned away and started brainstorming. "Let's see, he's the saddest pony I know, so I'm gonna hafta pull all the stops here...I'm gonna have to go where nopony has ever gone, do thing nopony's ever done. I gotta make it a gazillion times better than my usual cheer up routine..."

"Uh...Pinkie?" Twilight tried to get in.

"*gasp!* I have to fix up my party cannon!" She ran to the door and pulled it open. "Gotta go Twilight; bye!"

With that, she dashed away at ridiculous speeds. Once Twilight got over her surprise, she watch the dust trail Pinkie left behind wondering if she would succeed. Friendship had failed to reach Ash and had instead made things worse. Would the same thing happen to his brother?

"Oh Pinkie...I sure hope you know what you're doing..."


	27. Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27  
BREAKING POINT

As Flash and another royal guard flew over the library during the evening patrol, Twilight yawned and closed up the book she was engrossed it. Spike was already snoring away in his basket, and she couldn't wait to join him.

"Finally glad today's over..." she muttered as she went up the stairs to her bed. What with Psych and everything he did, the whole day had been completely exhausting. She was glad when she finally slumped over on her bed, drew her blanket over her body and closed her eyes waiting for herself to finally drift off...

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Twilight groaned in annoyance and covered her ears with her pillow. The knocking however continued keeping her from drifting of to sleep. "Whoever you are, can't it wait 'till morning?!" she groaned trying to block out the annoying sound.

"T-Twilight? Could you please let me in?"

Upon recognizing the voice, Twilight's ears perked up. She slowly raised her head. "Twilight? Please let me in..."

She seemed worried and tense which bothered her. Twilight finally rose and galloped downstairs; she pulled the door opened feeling a slight gust of cool evening wind, hearing the distant hooting of her pet owl and seeing her friend all alone in the middle of the night.

"R...Rarity...?"

Her friend looked...well, better than she did earlier that day when she was trembling and sobbing. Still, Rarity showed signs of trauma; her frame still trembled slightly, and her eyes were slightly wide. Speaking of her eyes, Twilight noticed several bags under them; Rarity would freak if she saw those.

"I can't sleep." she choked out shaking a little. "I try...I close my eyes, but all I could see is that claw. And-and those ants...they were everywhere...They were eating me Twilight! The crawling and-and gnawing and-and-"

"Shhhh." Twilight extended her hooves and pulled Rarity into a hug. As the latter sobbed and trembled while Twilight stroked her back gently. "There there...It's OK Rarity..."

_He did this_...she thought. Rarity was a mess, and it was all the doing of the pony she was keeping locked up in her basement. Psych said his life's purpose was to inflict pain wherever he went, and Rarity was a victim of it. _No._..She put her thoughts on Psych aside instead focusing on her friend.

"Listen Rarity, you can here for tonight." Rarity sniffed and looked at her. "Don't worry about it. It'll be like that sleepover we had remember? I'll get the smores and the pillows...We could give each other makeovers and tell ghost stories..."

A small smile slowly spread on her lips. "Th-That sounds wonderful Twilight but...I'd really love some sleep."

"That's OK Rarity." Twilight replied. "C'mon, I'll go get my second bed up."

Grateful for her friend's offer, Rarity pulled away from Twilight and entered her home. Twilight led the way upstairs and pulled out her spare bed careful not to wake Spike up. Rarity settled down and got herself comfortable as Twilight approached.

"I know a spell that'll allow you to have a calm, dreamless sleep." she told her earning a nod from Rarity. With her approval, Twilight lit up her horn and placed it on Rarity's forehead.

Almost immediately, he eyes began to droop, and her body felt heavy. She shifted a little and let out a yawn as her vision clouded. "Th...thank you Twi..."

With that, she finally found peace within the realm of sleep. Satisfied with her work, Twilight worriedly looked outside the window toward a place far away from the library where somepony else who Psych hurt lived.

"I sure hope Applejack's doing OK..."

* * *

*KLANK!*

"Another one!"

"B-But AJ...that's your fifth cider!"

"I can still feel the knives cuttin' me up Big Mac...Another one!"

* * *

Applejack and Rarity however, weren't the only ones having a bad night. Far away from Ponyville deep within the Everfree Forest, Blues ran about the woods weaving around tree after tree as he did. Once that area had been checked, he moved on to another one. He eventually came to a stop and stood panting for a moment after checking several more areas.

_Anything?_ he thought desperately.

_Still nothing._ Scar's voice replied. _What about you Ironhead?_

_Same here...Damn it..._

_Father?_

_No sign of him...where could he be?_

Blues sighed as he ran a hoof through his mane. _Solstice, have you found anything?_

_..._

_Solstice?_

...

_H...Help..._

_Solstice?_ Blues thought alarmed.

_S...Somepony...HEEEEELP!_

The silence of the night was suddenly interrupted by a massive explosion that was all too familiar to Blues and the brothers. Blues jumped a bit and turned in the direction it came from; judging by the sound, it didn't seem that far away.

_I think I'm the closest to him._ Blues thought as he ran through the trees. _I'm heading towards him at the moment. I hope I'm not too late_...He kept that last thought to himself.

Worried like hell for his eldest brother, Blues galloped past trees and branches. He eventually heard a familiar voice letting our strangled gasps and moaning out in pain. He instantly recognized them as Solstice's and quickened his pace fearing the worst.

Eventually, he emerged into a clearing where the cries originated. Solstice was on the ground, clutching his head as he writhed around in agony. "Solstice!" Blues galloped to his side stepping on something small, most likely Solstice's glasses.

He went closer, but a sudden jolt coursed through his body. The force of it knocked him into the air and sent him crashing into a nearby tree. Blues then crashed against the forest floor; his head dizzy from the impact, he struggled to stand.

"N…No! Blues, get back!" Solstice cried out as his brother approached. His body made a suddenly violent jerk. "Run! I…I can't…I can't hold it much longer!"

He let out a long scream of pain. As he let out more, arcs of teal electricity raced across his body; his back arched at a painful angle. Not caring about the danger, Blues rushed over to him only to receive another powerful jolt to his system. He was once again launched into the air. This time however, he suddenly stopped mid-flight and was set down gently on his hooves.

"Father?" Blues asked.

"F…Father! Please help!" Solstice cried out in pain.

Blues stepped aside as Equinox rushed over and held Solstice up. He cried out as a power jolt coursed through him but stood his ground. The trembling and hyperventilating unicorn looked up at his dad and let out a cry of pain as he clutched his head even tighter.

"F...Father!...I...I can't...Please...Help!"

The rest of his words were drowned out by several screams of pain. Solstice's horn then began to glow unusually brighter than usual; it was only a matter of moments before it went off. Alarmed, Equinox lit up his own horn. _All of you get back!_ he screamed in his head.

Blue quickly ran behind a nearby tree and, for good measure, used his own magic to create a navy blue barrier around himself. His horn brimming with silver magic, Equinox touched it to Solstice's and instantly felt a sudden surge of magic course through it, almost overwhelming him.

Refusing to yield, Equinox channeled his own magic and fought against Solstice's. The magic he was releasing grew stronger and stronger despite Equinox's efforts. Fearing the worst, the alicorn amplified his own magic and managed to overwhelm Solstice's. Before it could intensify even further, he cast a simply sleep spell which managed to reach the panicking unicorn.

Solstice, who had been crying out in pain, suddenly felt extremely drowsy. As the glow in his horn diminished, he swayed to the side and suddenly collapsed. Equinox hastily caught his son before he could hit the ground. Upon seeing Solstice snoring away peacefully, he let out a relieved sigh.

_It's safe to approach._

Upon hearing his dad's thought, Blues lowered his barrier. He gingerly stepped out of his hiding place and made his way towards Equinox carrying the slumbering Solstice. He then heard somepony touchdown from the air and a set of hoof steps near them.

"What happened?" Ironhead asked worriedly.

Equinox sighed as he hoisted Solstice on his back. "Solstice almost had a surge. I've managed to calm him down before things could get out of hoof." His three other sons looked at Solstice with worry. "I still can't believe this is happening…"

"First Ash, then Psych, and now Solstice…why the hell is all kinds of crap happening to us?!" Ironhead complained.

"Ironhead please calm yourself. It's most likely the stress of this whole situation that almost caused Solstice to have a surge in the first place." Blues told him. Ironhead nodded but still felt upset about everything.

"Still no sign of Psych?" Equinox asked.

Their somber faces gave their answers. "Where could he be? I understand that he's just as worried about Ash as we are, but why did he have to run off? He could be seriously hurt or lost or worse!" Equinox exclaimed fretting over where his son was.

"Wherever he is, I don't think he's in the forest. We've been searching like, all day and there's no sign of him." Scar added.

Blues picked up his brother's glasses and gave them to his dad. "We can discuss our next course of action back home. Beside, Solstice is in no condition to continue searching." He sighed and looked into the distance. "I suppose...We'll have to hope Psych has found somewhere safe to spend the night."

Feeling defeated, the family began their trek home, their hearts heavy with worry.

* * *

Groggy and slightly disoriented, Solstice slowly opened his eyes and rubbed his face. He felt that he was lying on something soft and familiar, most likely the bed in his room. Judging by the book case at the far right corner and the desk right next to it, he concluded that he was indeed in his own room. He groaned a little feeling a slight headache.

"Solstice, I'm glad to see that you've finally woken." He looked at the side and saw Blues sitting in a chair by his bed. The latter handed over his glasses. He thanked his brother and gently placed them back on.

"Blues." He quickly shot up on his bed and checked his brother for injuries. "Are you hurt? I saw you crash whenever you approached."

"I'm fine, and so is father. None of us are seriously hurt." Solstice sighed and fell back on his bed.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." Blues responded. "It's been almost half a year since you last surged."

Solstice sighed and covered his face. "It's nothing to be ashamed of Solstice. I, as well as every unicorn in Equestria, had my fair share of surges when I was young."

He quickly uncovered his face. "But Blues, those occurred when you were young. I am past that time, and yet I still surge. How many unicorns my age still continue to?" Solstice asked depressed. "If my surges were similar to young ponies' then I would be less worried, but they are not. My surges are far more destructive than yours or any young unicorn's...They don't know what it feels to be a ticking bomb that could go off just because of a little stress..."

"Solstice," Blues laid a hoof on his brother's shoulder. "You and I both know that your surges aren't your fault. You know what happened when father saved your life all those years ago, how special the circumstances were. This is something even he didn't foresee. Nopony can be blamed for this."

Still feeling depressed, Solstice sighed and placed a hoof on his chest. Besides his own heartbeat, he could practically feel it inside of him, the real reason he still had his surges. "I know Blues...But still...I did everything I could to stop myself from stressing out, but...but it was just too overwhelming. Ash is a mess, and now Psych has gone missing! Not to mention the Light that's still building up in Ponyville's soil and could go off in a matter of-"

"Shhh." Blues said sensing his brother was going to go off.

Solstice too a nervous gulp and closed his eyes tightly._ ...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10... _He opened his eyes and turned away from his brother. "Forgive me Blues. I am still feeling distressed."

Blues paused for a moment before a navy blue magical aura enveloped his horn. "I had a feeling you'd say that."

For a moment, there was silence. And then, Solstice heard a low, beautiful note being played. He quickly turned and saw his brother, his saxophone in his hooves. He watched as Blues began to play a slightly upbeat jazz piece which soothed Solstice's agitated heart. As the music slowly swelled into a much louder and upbeat tone, Solstice felt the same thing happen to his heart. He gently closed his eyes and let the notes flow through him.

Blues's performance lasted a little over two minutes, and by that time, Solstice was feeling much more relaxed. Blues lowered his instrument and smiled. "Feeling better?"

"Much...That was beautiful Blues..." Solstice praised quietly. "Thank you..."

"Anything to help a brother of mine." he replied setting his saxophone on the floor with his magic. "You know I'd gladly do anything for any of you...Even Psych..."

Solstice sighed. Now that he had calmed down, he could once again think rationally. "I trust that you all headed home once father subdued me?"

"We did. Afterwards, the four of us discussed our next move." Blues began. "We tried consulting Ash, but as you know, he's in no condition to answer us. We talked once again and thought of where he might go. Psych isn't foolish enough to spend the night in the forest on his own even with his powers."

"He wouldn't leave unless he had a reason." Solstice did some thinking. "It it very late; he must have thought of a place to spend the night...He must be in-"

"Ponyville." Blues finished. "Father reached that conclusion as well. I've no idea why Psych left, but if he'd have to spend the night somewhere besides here, the town would seem like his best option."

"Agreed. Tomorrow, we shall-"

"Forgive me Solstice, but there is no 'we'." Blues interrupted. "Father has assigned me to act as a mediator between us and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. I'm leaving for Ponyville tomorrow not only to search for Psych, but also ease the tension you three caused."

"I see…So…Ash remains…?" Solstice asked hoping for an improvement on the pegasus's state.

He was answered by a heavy sigh from Blues. "Still as uncooperative as ever." He shook his head and continued. "But you mustn't worry about him for the moment. Get some rest; this night hasn't really turned out well for you."

Solstice nodded and levitated his glasses over to a bedside table. Blues rose and, carrying his saxophone with his magic, made his way to the door. "Blues, wait." The beige unicorn stopped. "Tomorrow…would you mind giving Twilight a message from me?"

For a while, Blues remained silent as he pondered the request. Finally he answered.

"No."

Astonished, Solstice watched his brother turn around. "I will apologize for your actions, but I believe that anything you would like to say to her should be said in person. I'm sure she would appreciate that more than hearing it from me."

The latter sighed and closed his eyes. "Good night Blues…And thank you…"

With that, Blues left his brother's room and made his way to his own, his heart heavy with worry. His family was in disarray, and he felt almost powerless to fix it. Solstice could easily be cheered up, but Psych and Ash were, and have always been, difficult to reach. With Psych being cold and heartless and Ash being depressed and angry, they were just as distant, misguided and miserable as ever.

They had no idea that every night, he dreamed of the day they would finally be free of their suffering, no idea of what he'd do or give to make that dream a reality.


	28. Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28  
THE MEDIATOR

"Well...here goes nothing..."

Ponyville's marketplace was bustling with activity. Blues could hear each salespony as they chatted with their customers, some talking about how they were, others haggling for a cheaper price. "What a rather lively town..." Blues commented as he made his way through.

There were two ponies, one earth pony and one unicorn, chatting while they headed his way. "Excuse me for bothering you two," he said to both of them. "But I was wondering if you could help me with something."

Both ponies stopped and gazed at him curiously. "Sure." the earth pony said in a friendly manner. "Say, you're new here aren't you?"

"Yes, but I won't be staying long." Blues answered her. "I just happen to be looking for somepony, my brother to be exact. He left home unexpectedly yesterday, and I thought he'd be here."

"Wow that sucks." the unicorn replied. "If anybody in my family ever went missing, I wouldn't know what I'd do."

"I'm glad you share me concern." Blues continued. "I'm looking for a pony named Psych; have you come across somepony with that name?"

Hoping for a "yes" from either mare, Blues waited patiently as they thought. "Sorry; doesn't ring any bells. Bonnie?"

"Same with me." Blues felt his heart sink a little. "What does your brother look like? Maybe I've seen him somewhere."

Hope returned to Blues. "He's an earth pony. He has a maroon coat, dark rose eyes, a white and light grey mane..."

"Hey tell me...he wouldn't have an eye on a brain as his Cutie Mark would he?" the unicorn asked in a strangely nervous way.

Blues however cared only about what she said "You know him? You've seen a pony like that here in town?" he asked hurriedly.

"Yeah. I saw him yesterday standing in the middle of a street full of screaming ponies."

Once again, Blues heart sunk this time deeper than earlier. "R...Really?"

"Yeah. Scariest thing I ever saw. All those poor guys and girls screaming and thrashing..."

"I heard about that." the pony known a "Bonnie" added slightly fretful. "You came home so scared yesterday." She gave the other mare an affectionate nuzzle.

"Sweet Celestia Psych!" Blues muttered running a hoof through his mane, his marble eyes filled with concern. Psych had been gone one day, and he had already psychologically scarred several ponies.

"Seriously, that guy's your brother?" the unicorn asked. Her tone wasn't harsh or accusatory, just surprised.

"Yes." Blues replied firmly. "Look, I'm sorry for the things he has done. I know he has wronged the ponies here in Ponyville, but he is still my family. He has been missing for a day, and we are all worried sick about him. Please...I have to find him before he hurts anypony else..."

Once again, Blues waited tensely for their answer. He heard a sigh from one of them followed by an answer. "Well...last time I heard...He was taken away by Twilight."

"Twilight..." He had a feeling those six would be involved in this. "Where would I find her? I'll need specific directions."

"OK..." Bonnie sounded uneasy. "Just take a left on Trot Boulevard-"

"I'm sorry, but no street names please. I need a specific path to where she is." Blues said causing his companions to look at each other.

"If that's what you want..." the unicorn said with a shrug. "Just uh...head straight from here and make a right. Then take the third left intersection. Keep going forward until, and you'll end up right in front of it."

"Is there anything special about the building? Anything that sticks out?" Blues questioned.

"It's a giant tree. It shouldn't be too hard to find." Bonnie pointed out.

"A large tree...I understand." Blues nodded to both mares. "Thank you both for your help. I apologize once again for my brother's actions and wish you both a good day."

With that, he trotted away from the two mares remembering the instructions the unicorn gave him. As he did, he heard them continue to talk to each other about him. "That guy seemed a little weird don't you think?" the unicorn asked.

"Well he doesn't seem like a bad pony. I'm just surprised he's brother with the guy the did all those things. I saw Colgate a while ago, and she was still shaking and saying something about a claw."

"Now that's just freaky. First those three guys show up and chase Twilight around, then that fire, then that guy who showed up, and now him. Just what is going on in this town?"

_If only you knew...If only you knew..._Blues thought as he quickened away.

* * *

"M-More toast most beautiful one?" Spike offered clad in a blue apron, a plate of freshly toasted bread in his claws.

Grateful, Rarity levitated two slices and began spread it on the bread. "Why thank you Spike. You've been such a dear ever since you've woken up." She gave him an affectionate cheek rub that made him blush.

"If only he was this cheerful every morning." Twilight remarked taking a sip of orange juice. "You don't have any idea how much he grumbles while he's making breakfast."

"Twilight..." Spike said embarrassed while Rarity giggled. "I'm not really like that..."

"Excuse me? I believe your exact words earlier were: 'Hey Twilight, can't you write a letter to the princess about making the sun come up la-Oh! H-Hi there Rarity...Would you like me to make your breakfast?'"

Spike remained silent after than and went to pour himself a bowl of cereal. "I have you thank you as well Twilight." Rarity continued. "I'm certainly feeling much better now with a good night's sleep."

"Well it's nice to see you back to your old self." Twilight replied deciding not to mention the fact that the pony that almost drove her insane was locked up in her basement. "And it's nice to have company for breakfast. So how's business lately?"

Rarity was about to answer when she was interrupted by a knock on the library door. Spike opened it revealing one of the guards stationed yesterday. "Flash? Is there something you need?" Twilight asked him.

"No Ms. Twilight. I'm just here to report that there's been no disturbance of any kind in Ponyville so far." the guard reported setting his spear against the wall. "How are things here? Is the prisoner still secure?"

"Uh..." Twilight glanced towards Rarity who had an eyebrow raised. "He's still under heavy protection. He won't be hurting anypony anytime soon."

"I see. That's good to hear." Flash replied. "Still, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Twilight nodded in understanding.

"Prisoner? Twilight, is there somepony else here?" Rarity questioned.

The librarian's pupils quickly shrunk. "I...um...well...You see Rarity..."

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

_Whoever you are, thank you!_ "Oh look, somepony's at the door." Twilight said quickly. Hopefully, who ever it was would stay long enough for Rarity to finish up and leave before find out about Psych.

"Allow me." Flash offered making his way to the door and opening it. "Can I help you?"

Blues raised an eyebrow. "Er...yes. I'm looking for Ms. Twilight Sparkle. Is she in today?"

Twilight craned her neck and got a glimpse of her beige visitor. "Does Ms. Twilight know you?" Flash asked.

Blues rolled his eyes. "Well she certainly knows my brothers..."

Twilight had heard his reply and reacted by yelping, knocking aside her glass of juice and jumping back. Flash reacted as well, hastily grabbing his spear and pointing it at his nose. Blues reacted by stepping back, his mane shifting for some strange reason.

"How many of you are there?!" Twilight cried out.

"I-I'm the last! I swear!" Blues cried out. "Please, I'm just here to talk; I swear I mean no harm to any of you!"

Rarity and Spike were at the sidelines, their gazes rapidly shifting from Twilight, to Flash and then to Blues. "Please...I know my brothers have done things that hurt you, but I'm here to make things right! Please believe me!"

Blues' pleas seemed sincere and truthful, but Twilight still felt a little uneasy. If this pony was anything like the others, he'd definitely have some strange powers of his own. "I...I don't wish to hurt anypony..."

Eventually, Twilight sighed. "Stand down Flash. Let him in." she said. Flash lowered his spear and stepped aside.

"Th-Thank you." Blues said to the guard as he passed him. He turned to the mare in front of him. "Twilight Sparkle I take it? I understand your uneasiness about dealing with somepony like me. My name is Blues, and I'm here to speak on behalf of our actions."

Twilight eyed him cautiously for a while. "I take it you're here for your brother?" Twilight asked him.

"Yes. He went missing yesterday leading my family to search frantically for him. We-"

Blues suddenly stopped and turned his head to the right facing the direction Rarity and Spike were at. He was gazing at the latter with a confused expression for a while before continuing. "We were all worried about him. I asked around Ponyville and learned he was being kept here."

Twilight calmed down a little. "In that case, then you should also be aware of what he did here in Ponyville."

"I'm well aware of his actions." Blues replied with a nod. "I feel absolutely dreadful that he hurt so many ponies."

"H-H-H-He's here?!" Rarity stammered as her eyes shrunk. She ducked her head under the table and started to shake.

"Are you one of the ponies he hurt?" Alarmed and worried, Blues turned to her placing a hoof on his chest as he did. "I'm so sorry about what he did. Believe me when I say that-"

"I-I couldn't get a good night's sleep because of him!" Rarity exclaimed much to Blues' dismay. "I almost went insane!"

"Your brother also hurt another one of my friends." Twilight added upset. "I don't even know how she's even coping with what she went through."

"Please..." Blues begged. "My brother...Psych...He...He's just..."

"Heartless? Unnecessarily cruel? Evil?" Rarity suggested. Blues gritted his teeth trying not to agree with her. "A psychopath who wishes nothing more than-"

"I know how it feels!" Blues exclaimed before Rarity could finish. "I was a victim of his powers as well. I know what it's like to have him in your head and rip you piece by piece while he just sits there laughing and rejoicing over your anguish! He has been doing that to me and my family for years!"

His outburst had silenced the two mares and left them staring at him a little stunned. Blues sighed and bowed his head towards Rarity, his heart burning with pain. "You should consider yourself lucky...At least..luckier than the rest of us..."

"Wh-what do you mean?" a confused Rarity asked; she could see pain filling those white eyes of his.

"He only hurt you physically...He didn't know you personally...He didn't grow up with you...He didn't live under the same roof with you...He didn't watch you grow up and mature into the pony you are today...He didn't take every decision you made, act that you did and word that you uttered and used them to find out what it is that makes you tick...He didn't use that information to tear your entire life apart...He didn't make you question why you do the things you love..."

Twilight's eyes softened upon hearing that, and so did Rarity's. Spike's shoulders were drooping a little. Even Flash, who was merely watching everything unfold looked was yet another victim of Psych's cruelty, a victim that was also his brother. What kind of pony would do such a thing to his own brother?

"I'm sorry." she quickly apologized. "I...I didn't know..."

"It's quite alright." Blues replied turning to her. "Now that we've calmed down, can we please have a pleasant discussion about everything."

Both Twilight and Rarity nodded. "Please have a seat." the former offered.

Blues thanked her and sat at the table along with the two other unicorns. "Your other brother, Ash...We got into an incident with him as well." Twilight mentioned.

"We knew the fire was his doing. I'm sorry again for the incident." Blues replied. "Ash and Psych...they were always distant from the rest of the family. They never got themselves involved with other family matters."

"Psych said something like that yesterday." Twilight said remembering that conversation. "If he and Ash kept to themselves most of the time, then that would explain why they were so violent when we encountered them. Solstice, Ironhead and Scar, they were much more gentle compared to the other two."

"Ah yes; I've come to discuss their actions as well." Blues said with a nod. " I assure you that none of them meant to harm any of you. I saw them return home, and they all feel terrible about they did."

"They...did huh..." Twilight's thoughts drifted to Solstice. "But, are you guys still after the Elements of Harmony?"

Blues closed his eyes and took a deep breath hoping that honesty would make them less upset. "Yes. Yes we are."

Instantly, her eyes widened in alarm; Flash gripped his spear tighter. "I also wish to add that we have no intention of stealing them away from you. We'd just like to know where they are."

"They're...here in Ponyville. I have reasons to why I can't say exactly where." Twilight answered firmly. "I'd like to ask something as well. If you're not here to hurt any of us, why did Solstice threaten Ponyville?"

"He-He did?" Blues asked surprised. That didn't sound like Solstice at all. "Perhaps it's just a misunderstanding. I assure you he regrets hurting you as well Twilight."

The latter stayed silent and rubbed her hoof with another. "He didn't seem like a bad pony when I first met him." Rarity added.

"Yeah. Twilight looked like she was gonna faint or something." Spike said chuckling a little.

"Spike!"

"What? You totally were." Spike pointed out. He then noticed Blues staring at him in a confused way. "Uh, why're you looking at me like that?"

The visitor cleared his throat. "I'm...just wondering something. I don't wish to be rude, but I must ask...Why are you bipedal?"

"Bi-what?" Now Spike was confused.

"Uh, Spike's dragon. They're usually bipedal." Twilight pointed out.

"Oh a dragon." Blues said with understanding. "That also explains the things jutting out of his back."

"You couldn't tell?" Spike asked. "You never see a dragon before?"

Blues coughed a little. "Well er...I suppose that's technically correct."

"Technically correct?" Rarity asked.

Blues rubbed the back of his. "Er yes. I don't usually go around telling ponies this...I'm er...I'm blind."

All three of them looked at him not expecting that. "A-Are you serious?" Rarity asked.

"Very. Long ago, I had the ability to see, but an...incident occurred when I was but a foal. Ever since that day, I've lost that ability..." Blues explained leaving some silence in his wake.

"Hey, what color is this?" Spike asked holding up a teacup.

"Spike!" Twilight reprimanded. "Wait, if you're blind, how did you find your way here?"

Blues nervously rubbed his hooves together. "Well, like my brothers, I have special powers...My power allows me to navigate my surrounding without using sight."

"You too? How come you guys all got special powers?" Spike asked.

Blues nervously placed a hoof on his chest. "I'm sorry, but I'm not here to discuss what it is I can do."

"You're right." Twilight said. "So...I take it Solstice is the head of your family?"

"No. Our father, Equinox, is." Blues corrected. "He-"

"Equinox!" The student's shout caused the others to stare. "Your father is _the_ Equinox?!"

"Er...yes." Blues replied leaning back a little. "Do you know him?"

"Know him? Who hasn't heard of the famous alicorn scientist who dedicated his life to studying the balance between Light and Darkness? Who hasn't seen any of his papers on the nature of primordial forces? Who hasn't heard his theory on how the world was created?"

A long silence was her response. Then slowly, two hooves, one beige, the other white, and a purple claw was slowly raised. There was then a cough as Flash slowly raised his hoof as well. "You're his son, and you haven't done any of that?" Twilight asked.

"Yes; he has several works written in Braille." Blues muttered sarcastically. "I have to say no. Solstice takes more interest in our father's work than any of us."

Annoyed, Twilight sighed. "I didn't know he had children."

"Believe it or not, but one of his children in now sitting before you." Blues said. "And another one is being held by you."

Twilight's eyes turned to the basement door. "Ever since Psych vanished yesterday, my father had been beside himself with worry. I myself could not imagine what kind of trouble he could have been in."

Rarity took note of the worry in his expression. "M...May I speak with him?" he asked quietly.

Twilight scanned his face seeing a pony concerned for his brother. Sighing, she left the table and undid her magical locks on the basement door. Flash stepped forward ready in case he was needed, but Twilight shook her head. Blues thanked her and followed her down the stairs to where his brother was.

* * *

"Psych?" Blues asked once they reached the bottom. He immediately sensed a large void; his powers couldn't sense anything beyond that.

"Greed?" Psych replied. He was finishing up on a piece of toast while going through several schedules and check-lists. Annoyed, their owner picked teleported them to the other side of the barrier. "What the hell're you doing here?" Psych asked bored now that his source of entertainment had been lost.

Hearing his voice made Blues rush past Twilight, run up to the barrier and place his front hooves on it. His face broke into a relieve smile. "It truly is you...We've all been worried sick ever since you left."

"Yeah yeah. Sure." Psych replied rolling his eyes.

"We've been searching all over for you. How could you just sneak off without informing any of us?"

"C'mon, I leave home every day to practice my powers on the creatures around home. You didn't seem to be as concerned as you are now."

"Wait, what?!" Twilight exclaimed.

"None of that matters now Psych." Blues said. "I'm here...I've come to take you home."

"Hold up. You want me to let him lose again?" Twilight asked. "He tortured Rarity and several others; who's to say he won't do it again?"

"I kinda have to agree with Magic over there." Psych said surprising her. "But not for your reason of course. As exhilarating as going out and torturing everypony in sight to the brink of madness sounds, inflicting physical pain's really...boring lately. I'm mean, I'd still enjoy slowly pushing a pony head-first into a circular saw while hacking their legs off with an axe, but I miss the psychological aspect of the torturing. I can't do much of that with complete strangers, but with her and her friends, it's been real fun! Besides, I wanna stick around and see just how long it takes to break those damn Elements of Harmony to pieces."

Blues was speechless. "H-How can you even say such a thing?" Twilight asked in disbelief.

"What? As much as possible, I use my target's own fears and vulnerabilities to drive them insane instead of the usual physical torture. When it comes to brining the pain, my motto goes: 'why pulverize when you can traumatize?'." Psych ended with a cold laugh that sent chills up her spine.

"Take you for example Magic. I know you value your friends more than anything." Psych grinned evilly at her. "So, if I gotta choose between dropping you into vat of lava or having you watch me nailing Honesty to ground, cutting her open and ripping out her organs, I'd go with the latter."

The mental image Twilight got made her sick. "Psych!" Blues exclaimed.

"Give it up Greed. She's not gonna let me out." Psych said with a smile. "Now shut up while I tell her how I plan to have her watch Kindness have her flesh ripped apart by a pack of ravenous-"

Twilight covered her ears and shook her head several times making Psych laugh with glee. "She has to decide between letting me go and risk unleashing me upon her town or keeping me here and enduring my torturing herself. Her good nature's making her chose the former, and frankly, I don't really mind!"

At this rate, nothing could convince Twilight to let him out. Despite everything, Blues didn't want to see his brother locked up like this. Desperately, he thought up a way for everything to turn out good for all of them. Like his dad years ago, and idea struck him, and he didn't like it one bit.

He was going to make Psych want Twilight to let him out.

"We entered his room." Blues said over the earth pony's cackling.

The latter stopped and turned his attention to him. "What did you say?"

"We...When we learned of your disappearance, we became worried." Blues continued. "We thought Ash might know where you were, so we unlocked his door and…Everything was a mess."

"Wh…what?" Psych asked in a soft, strange way. Twilight stared at him confused by his sudden shift in expression.

"His entire room was in disarray. I was in there myself and witnessed the chaos myself." Blues continued painfully remembering those events. "Ash himself was…even more of a mess. Th-they told me about the bruises all over his body…How did those get there?!"

Stunned, Psych remained silent, his head bowed upon remembering just how much pain Ash was in the last time he saw him. Twilight on the other had and just stunned to see and hear what sounded like actually concern and care from Psych.

"I…I swear we didn't hurt Ash enough to give him bruises all over his body." Twilight told Blues.

"There's more." Blues added darkly. "We also found out his hoof was broken-"

"WHAT?!" Psych shouted in horror. His gaze once again turned downwards and his frame shook a little. "He…That wasn't there when I saw him…"

"I-It was a hairline fracture. Solstice managed to mend it, but…He's troubled." Blues' sorrow made his eyes water little. "He's troubled Psych and none of us know why. Whatever it is that is bothering him, he needs us Psych…He needs you…"

Upon hearing those last few words, Psych realized something. He then began to tremble as his rage built up. "H…How dare you…"

He reared up on his hind legs and slammed them against the barrier. "How dare you use him against me! How dare you use him to influence me!"

Blues looked away and bit his lip. He hated using his brother's one positive trait to manipulate him, but it was for his own good and Ash's. He drew a shaky breath. "I don't want to him to be in pain Psych, and I know you don't want it either. Please…Ash needs his brother…"

Psych growled and remained silent for a while. Finally, he raised his head and turned to Twilight. "Let me out." he ordered with a snarl.

"What? I'm not letting you-"

"Twilight please." Blues begged. "I have another troubled brother back home, and Psych is the only pony who could reach him. I despise how manipulative this sounds, but caring for Ash should also stop him from coming back and hurting anypony else."

"LET ME OUT!" Psych screamed at her pounding the barrier again. "I have to get to him! He's the only pony who doesn't hate me, who doesn't reject me, who accepted me! He needs me! He's my only brother! He is all I have! I have to help him!"

Beneath the anger in his eyes, Twilight could see Psych overwhelming love for his brother, something that she was surprised to see coming from a pony who despised the world with all his heart. Maybe his heart wasn't as dark as she thought it was; maybe, in a life where he hated everypony else, Psych had actually found someone to cherish, his brother.

And that brother was in deep trouble.

Coming to a decision, Twilight lit up her horn. The barrier surrounding Psych slowly shrunk until it became a floating sphere with him inside of it. She looked at him and earned a scowl. "Don't think I'll thank you. J-Just get me to my brother."

Twilight held his gaze for a while. "You love your brother don't you?" she told him. "I know how feels to worry about one. When you have a brother, and he's in any kind of danger or trouble…you just have to help him. If he's doing something wrong, if he's misguided or lost…you have to do something about it." She shifted her gaze to Blues. "That's why you're here right? You came because you love your brother too right?"

Blues slowly nodded. "Despite everything, I will always love him like any brother should." He heard Psych scoff and mutter something that sounded like "hypocrite".

Twilight managed to smile at Blues' response. She floated Psych in front of her and marched up the stairs with Blues trailing behind. She of all ponies knew that when anypony, especially a friend or family, is troubled, you do something about it out of love. She saw that kind of love in Blues and in Psych as well.

The earth pony believed himself to be hated by the world. Becoming a psycopath, he had found a flicker of hope in the form of his brother, the only pony to have ever accepted him. Even though it was just one pony, Psych had found somepony to love, to keep him from succumbing completely to despair.

In the midst of the darkness in his heart, Ash was Psych's light.


End file.
